The Ambassador
by alleycat1312
Summary: NOW COMPLETE! Death came from above as the tunnel collasped...But you know the truth, said Medici. May the truth die with you....Sonilla's skirt billowed in the steady wind...The corruption has spread.
1. The Attempt

_Author's Notes- Hello, thanks for clicking on my story!_

_This is my third fanfiction, second one for the metroid category. The story you are about to read is a companion story to my first fic, A Moment's Silence_. _It is not necessary, but highly recommended, that you read that story first._

_This story will be built around Samus Aran and my original character, Maelos.Also, this story will be dealing with political corruption, understanding how the system works will help you, my readers. Here is my setup of the Galactic Federation Government-_

_-There is a central parliament with representatives from and elected by each planet; it is called the "House". _

_-The number of representatives is determined by the planet's population, and for each group of representatives there is a leader, called Ambassador, who is spokesperson for that planet and its representatives._

_-The House takes a vote for each decision, 3/5 (60) majority wins._

_-The Galactic Council has 11 members. Each member is directly elected by the people of the corresponding quadrant-which is a certain demographic (population statistics) zone of the galaxy. _

_-The Council approves/vetoes all of parliament's decisions. _

_-The Council Chairman is merely a figurehead appointed by the Council members to speak for them in public; the Chairman is not an actual Council Member and has no real power._

_That is the basic idea, I may expand on it throughout this story, but I wanted to tell you now, in plain words, instead of explaining it through the narrative. "Maelos"May-E-los. _

_This chapter starts things off slowly, but keep going until the end. _

_Enough background, read!_

Chapter 1: The Attempt

The man with dark eyes was nervous. Wearing only black dress pants and a clean undershirt, he walked over to the full-size mirror on the west wall. As he walked, the light shone on his handsome body and revealed the muscle from his former years of physical labor. Laid out on a chair by the mirror was his tuxedo. He picked up the tux shirt and carefully put it on.

Fixing his collar and then putting on the bow tie and cummerbund, the man with dark eyes looked at himself in the mirror. This entire outfit was brand new, stiff and scentless. He didn't like the formality of it, but tonight this outfit was necessary.

Tonight was the second to last in a series of intergalactic political conventions called the "Unity Ball". _An ironic name, seeing as how the House is anything but unified, _he thought bitterly. Regardless of its name though, he was expected to make a speech about the current economic crisis that was spreading throughout the galaxy, and he was so nervous.

This was his chance! As Ambassador for Nebulon, Maelos, had helped revive their own economic standstill, established better criminal laws, and improved the educational system. His peers had been amazed at his accomplishments since he had been a 'nobody' before then. Now he was gaining support, and it was an election year.

There was rumor that he might be nominated to run in his quadrant's Council Seat election. It was possible that at next week's final convention he could be making an acceptance speech…

He fumbled with his gold cuff links, _Ugh, I so dislike formal wear! _He thought. This suit had cost him a very pretty penny, almost too much for him to afford actually, but he needed a new suit, and one that was impressive.

Maelos picked up the black tux jacket, in his anxiety barely feeling the smooth silk, and put it on. With a deep breath, he straightened and buttoned it. He took a final look at himself.

"This is the night," he told the mirror, "let's not screw it up."

Checking to make sure the microdisk containing his speech was in his pocket, he turned off the lights and left his suite.

Out in the hallway, many other people were leaving for the convention too. Maelos quickened his pace to make it to the elevator before them. As he turned the corner, a woman quickly slipped through the closing elevator doors. She turned and their eyes met just as they closed. He had seen her before and recognized her curly red hair, but he couldn't put a name to her beautiful face.

The woman reminded him of his one mistake for this evening--he had no one to escort, or in layman words, he didn't have a date. He'd been too busy organizing and meeting with other representatives to take the time to ask someone. Some of his friends had tried to set him up, but he didn't share their taste in women.

As he waited for the elevator to return, he thought about this. _Oh well, it's not that big of a deal, _he decided, _there are more important things to be done tonight._

When he finally made it downstairs, the hotel doorman opened the door and wished him a good evening. Maelos walked out into the nightlife of the city Vastial. A limousine hovercraft was waiting on the curb for him. The city was on the planet Bruxig, a warm temperate place perfect for human life. Vastial was bright and loud, the noise of hovercraft and walking feet was everywhere. He reveled in the night air.

"Good evening Ambassador," said his chauffer as he opened the craft's door.

"Hello Phillip," said the Ambassador. Phillip had been his faithful chauffer for the last 2 years.

It was a half an hour before they got to the Corneta Building, where the Unity Ball was to be held. The Corneta Building was a testament to the era's architecture. The gargantuan building's base was built of priceless stone, all of it covered in magnificent drawings. The rest was a steel and alloy metal structure, delicate and pleasing to the eye but incredibly strong and durable. The numerous windows that covered the building reflected the city's lights and colors. Thousands of people and other beings were swarming in and out of the Corneta building.

Maelos walked up the marble stairs and through the huge glass doors. His heartbeat quickened as he entered.

Inside the Corneta Building's Grand Hall, the flash of gold, silver, and silk flowed as one. Politicians from everywhere were here, and the room was full of their talk. Galactic Federation soldiers stood stiffly at strategic points in the hall, obviously for security.

Maelos caught bits and pieces of the political conversations. They were all of the latest scandals and fashions, or full of boastings and hidden verbal abuse. Then he floated from group to group for several minutes, interjecting a thought every now and then. Everyone wished him good luck with his speech.

A server carrying a dish with glasses of champagne walked by, and the Ambassdor took a glass. He downed the champagne like a shot. He was so nervous, and the alcohol didn't help. _I don't even like champagne, _he thought as the taste nearly made him gag.

"Hey Maelos!" shouted a voice from behind him. The man with dark eyes turned and saw his friend and fellow Ambassador making his way through the crowd to him.

The Ambassador for Aret came up to him and stopped, a smile on his face. Devajor was a tall man with dark brown skin. He was always positive and was a fierce voice in the House meetings. They had met and studied together at Triya University and had been good friends ever since.

"Hi Dev," said Maelos. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, you're the one who has to give a speech tonight, not me," his friend answered.

A slender dark arm wove its way around Devajor's waist, and the arm's owner followed.

"Oh, Maelos, this is Anne," introduced Devajor.

Maelos offered his hand to Devajor's stunning date and was about to say something when a GF official tapped his shoulder.

"Come with me Mr. Ambassador," he said, "you will be seated by the Council for your speech tonight."

"I'll see you later," said Maelos to Devajor and Anne as he was led away.

He was led up to the raised stage at the end of the hall, which was several feet above the main floor.

Maelos was seated at one of tables that were placed right next to the tunnel-like staircase that led up to the platform. As soon as the official left him, the room lights dimmed and all of the stage lights focused on a person up on the stage.

The person was Joseph Torim, the Galactic Council Chairman. Maelos could barely see him despite the fact that Torim was at a large podium. He could see that behind Torim was the Seal of the Galactic Council, made of crystal and hung on the wall. On it was all of the symbols that represented every species of sentinel beings in the Federation, everyone of then united by a circle of light.

As the Chairman started to speak, the crystal seal was illuminated by a 3D hologram and the symbols revolved on the turning ellipse of light.

"Greetings, members of the House and Council…"

His words couldn't be heard by Maelos, all he could do was think, _I speak next. Come on now, don't mess this up! This is the probably the best chance I'll ever get at making a difference… Oh please help me!_

"… and here to speak about the Federation's plans for the current economic problem is the Ambassador from Nebulon, Maelos Tebral."

The hall sounded with applause and the occasional whistle. Maelos stood and felt ecstatic with nerves and energy.

His heart was beating madly as he walked past the Council's table and disappeared into the staircase, then reappeared onto the platform. He shook hands with the Chairman and took his place behind the podium. Then he took the microdisk out of his pocket and inserted it into the clear stand by the podium. The words of his speech came up in small white letters, visible only to him.

Looking out to the crowd, Maelos was blinded by the lights. When his eyes refocused, he could see the tens of thousands of people watching him, and then he thought of the billions of beings watching him at home. He was starting to feel nauseas.

Maelos took a deep breath, and soon the thunderous applause fell to attentive silence. Suddenly he was afraid that his speech wasn't good enough and that they would discredit. _Relax, Maelos, _he told himself, _you can do this. Just think of Mom, and how proud she would be. Dad will be watching this at home, I can't let him down…think of Samus, and how she would handle this. _

Now relatively calm, he started to speak.

"The current problem that is plaguing the galaxy is a by-product of the…"

The words floated up to the ceiling where small engraved cerebrum danced with alien mythology. The crowd listened to every word, and Maelos was growing more confident as he went on. Speaking for almost 2 minutes now, Maelos reached a pause in his speech. He cleared his throat and started to tell the convention about his solution to the crisis.

It was then that he heard the first shot.

Screams filled the air and Maelos heard the sound of the crystal display behind him shattering. He dropped to the ground as shards of crystal hit the platform around him. The stage lights zoomed away from and into the crowd, suddenly everything was dark. All was chaos.

The sharp pieces cut his hands as he tried to lift himself up, but his chest was so tight he couldn't breath. His head started to spin as the lights came back on, and he was seeing black dots everywhere in his regained sight. He was aware of a hot pain in his left shoulder, and putting his hand to it, he felt the wound and his warm blood flowing freely.

There were several more shots and even more screams as Devajor and a Federation soldier reached him. Together they lifted him up and headed outside.

As they carried him to safety, Maelos tried to stay conscious. Devajor was reassuring him that everything was okay, that he'd take care of him. Maelos tried, but his mind slipped, and he succumbed to the black of unconsciousness.

_Well, how'd you like that as a starting chapter? Any and all reviews/questions are welcomed, just press the button. I'll try to update about very week or every other week._


	2. Promises and Possible Perfidy

_Note: I normally use meaningful words, that's for both past and future references, but if you don't know what 'perfidy' means, look it up!_

_Alright, chapter 2, here it is! Cue Samus…_

Chapter 2: Promises and Possible Perfidy

The Hunter continued through the snow. It was snowing fiercely and through her Chozo made bio-suit, Samus Aran could hear the howling wind. She could also feel the cold. Her helmet said the temperature outside her suit was a balmy –73 degrees Celsius. _And its not much warmer in here, _she thought.

Stalking her prey by the coordinates Creto was sending her from the ship, Samus waded knee deep in the shifting snows of Cicho. She had been tracking this group of intergalactic drug smugglers for the last 3 weeks, and this time they weren't going to give her the slip.

She had been following them with the invisibility cloak on her hunter-ship when they landed on this icy rock 5 hours ago. Samus had hoped to overtake them in space, but she had been forced to go with Plan B, the stealth ground attack.

As they landed, she'd switched her ship's radar to heat seeking and found out they had a base here on Cicho. _Great place…_

So she'd flown in and landed as close as she could to their base and then left her ship. It would have been far easier to just have blown the place to bits and then have searched for remains, but she had to pay the bills. The man who had hired her was strange. He wanted the criminal leader alive and at least half of the drugs unharmed so that he could secure a conviction. She didn't see what a conviction would do, _the Federation didn't care enough to put a bounty on them, so why take them to court? Why not just finish them? _But hey, it was her job, and she didn't ask questions she didn't want to know the answers to.

Through the flying snow, Samus could see the building coming into view. She switched her visor to infrared and could see moving figures through the walls. _How to get in? _she asked herself, _hmm…_

She went to the furthest corner she could find and took out a laser knife from her suit's new storage compartment. It was built into the left thigh of her suit and was perfect for carrying her smaller gadgets; she'd made the improvement herself.

Samus knelt on one knee and sank waist deep into the snow. All around her the wind whipped as she used the knife to make an entrance. When the circle was complete, she put away her tool and gently pushed the sheet metal in.

Suddenly the strongest gust she'd yet encountered came and swept her into the self-made entrance. The Hunter went crashing into the smugglers' base, her bio-suit resounding loudly against the concrete floor.

There were shouts in the distance, calls to investigate. The wind zipped through the hole and made a loud whistling noise. Her secrecy lost, Samus took the circular piece of metal and shoved it into the hole to stop the noise. The wind just caved it in again and the noise continued.

_What am I doing!_ Samus mentally screamed at herself. _How could I be so clumsy?_ There was no more time to question; they were coming.

The warehouse she had come into was full of crates and metal containers. They were stacked in neat piles that nearly reached the 50foot ceiling. _Someone's been busy._

Samus rolled behind one stack and switched her power beam gun to a lower level of power. She wanted her prey alive.

A trio of men came around the corner; they were dressed in special warmth suits that were extremely lightweight and thin. Two of them carried beam guns, but the third carried a fierce looking weapon. It was so big the man carried it on is shoulders. The machine pulsed blue and Samus didn't like the look of it.

The first two went to the hole she had made. They cursed loudly but not loud enough to be heard over the roaring wind. Number 1 made to put the wall back together, but number 2 said something to stop him and then they both started arguing. Number 3 yelled at them both and pointed to the stack Samus was hiding behind. Number 2 started around the corner as number 1 made for the alarm button stationed 10 feet down the wall…

Samus swung around the corner and in one shot she stunned the man headed for the alarm. Number 2 had quicker reflexes them she'd anticipated, and he got 5 shots off before she could take cover again and 2 of them hit her. They were mild hits and her suit easily withstood them.

Samus switched her arm cannon to the ice beam and came around the corner for a second try. Two blasts to number 2's feet froze him solid. Samus continued to rush at him, and as he screamed out she hit (and probably broke) his arm to disarm him.

Out of nowhere came a shockwave that threw Samus off her feet. Nimbly, she got up and saw number 3 with his menacing weapon taking aim.

"Greetings bounty hunter," he said with malice.

Samus dove behind another stack of crates. The stock wave hit it, and the stack quivered, and then it began to fall. Staring up as they started to fall, Samus's pulse remained level.

With lightning speed she switched into morph ball mode and used its boost to roll away from the falling drugs. They landed on the hard floor and many of them ruptured, spilling literal tons of a potent and lethal leaf on the floor.

Number 3 had no idea where the bounty hunter and gone. He spun around, searching for her, and not succeeding.

He turned around again and Samus was standing there. She struck him in the abdomen with her arm cannon, and then hit him on the head with her free hand. He fell down unconscious.

_My presence here is already known, so who cares, _Samus told herself. Then she took the menacing cannon weapon and hurled it as far away as possible. While it was still in the air, she shot it with the Power Beam, and it exploded in a blaze of pink and blue light.

The warehouse became very quiet, and Samus revolved slowly. She had a hard time believing that this entire operation was run by only 3 men. There had to be more.

"Welcome Miss Aran. It's nice to finally see you," said a female voice from behind her.

Samus turned around and searched the warehouse. At the other end of the room was the control center. Ramps on both sides led up to its raised and windowed control room, and standing in the doorway was Lorie Moli.

The smugglers' leader was tall and slender, dressed in a lightweight bio-suit. Lorie Moli was more prepared for battle then Samus had thought, as the armored woman carried a high-powered beam gun in each hand.

Lorie Moli had been a small-time thief until she had organized this smuggling act. Samus had dug up everything she could find on Lorie, but she couldn't find out where Lorie had gotten her initial money from, _oh well._

Lorie Moli had the visor to her helmet flipped up. She issued a command in a language Samus didn't know, and 4 of her henchmen came running to Samus. Then she flipped down her visor and raised her weapons.

Samus wasted no time. She began to duck and weave her way across the room to Lorie. Her enemy opened fire and the room echoed with rebounding shots.

Samus changed her cannon to the Annilator Beam and began charging. Her whole body shook with its power and she had trouble maneuvering around the crates as blasts rained down on her.

Finally, with her charge ready, she came around a stack and had a clear shot.

Lorie saw her and fired just before Samus released the Sonic Boom. The world stopped and time slowed.

Samus had seen this weapon's affect on the Ing of Aether, but she wasn't quite sure how it would affect humans

The tidal wave of sound pushed into the four attacking men, who were thrown back and temporarily paralyzed. The shot Lorie had fired hit the wall and failed.

Lorie Moli had closed the door to her glass revealed room. When the Sonic Boom hit, the glass shattered in a blast of wind and speed. The huge stacks of drugs came tumbling down, and Samus saw them fall and clatter to the floor in slow motion.

When the Sonic Boom hit the warehouse's wall there was a terrible grating sound. The entire building quivered and shook until Samus was sure it would collapse, but it didn't. Then the boom ended, leaving a decimated warehouse behind.

Samus could hear Lorie's moans of pain coming from the control room as she opened the compartment on her thigh and took out 5 little disks. She came up to the first henchman and activated one of the disks. It split in two with a string of energy between the two pieces. Samus took the man's hands and tied them with the string of energy. When the two pieces met they clicked and the handcuffs solidified.

Samus continued around the room until all 4 of them were handcuffed.

Then she reached the control room.

The moans and cries of pain by Lorie Moli had stopped. Samus looked on the floor, expecting to find her, trapped by some roof beam or full of broken glass, but Lorie was gone. _What?_

Six beam shots to the back and then something heavy struck Samus's helmet. She staggered under the blows but kept on her feet. Lorie struck Samus with all of her might and Samus's knees buckled.

"Enough!" shouted Samus.

She twisted around and caught the alloy pipe with her bio-suit protected hand, then she shoved Lorie back and the woman fell over.

Lorie was back up on her feet and began firing again. Samus's shields took the first 3 shots but then they gave and Samus began to feel heat through her suit.

The broken glass crushed under their armored feet as they circled and fired at one another. Samus set her cannon to stun, _'the leader must be alive'._

Samus fired half a dozen rounds at Lorie Moli, who, with real agility, dodged them all.

The criminal then returned the blasts and took cover behind an upturned table.

Samus fired a missile at the floor just in front of the table. The floor was blown apart, and the table exploded.

The Hunter took out a syringe and needle full of sedative from her little compartment and then rushed Lorie.

The criminal dodged her first lunge and grabbed Samus's bulky shoulders. She threw Samus into the wall, but not before the Hunter had stuck the needle in her suit's weak abdomen.

Lorie screamed with all of her might as she realized she'd been bested. She fired rapid, ill-aimed shots at Samus, all the while shouting, "I will get you for this, Samus Aran, yes I will!"

Then Lorie Moli started to sway and her cannon lowered. She fell backwards against the wall and slowly slid down into a sitting position.

"Alright," said Samus as she handcuffed her bounty.

She then took off Lorie's helmet.

Lorie Moli had short black hair and a sharp pointed face that held an angry beauty. Samus froze the face in her helmet's picture database, just like she did to every other bounty. Samus wanted to be sure that she would never be caught off guard by a released or escaped bounty.

Five minutes later all of the henchmen, even the first 3, were in the control room with Lorie Moli. All were cuffed and unconscious, just the way Samus liked her criminals.

"Creto," said Samus into her helmet. Inside, on her visor, came the message 'connecting'.

"Yes, my Lady," came the voice of Samus's ship's internal computer.

"It's clear. Reboot the messaging systems and bring the ship over here," said Samus.

"Right away Samus," replied Creto.

Samus slumped down onto the floor next to Lorie. The now captive smuggler's eyes slowly opened and her head flopped onto Samus's shoulder. She stuttered and began to drool.

_Looks like someone needs more sedative, _thought Samus as she administered more of the clear fluid. _Don't worry Lorie, soon you'll be home in your cozy prison cell where—_

"My Lady?" came Creto's voice inside her helmet.

"Yeah?" asked Samus.

"Well, I opened up the broadcasting systems again as you'd requested, and there is a signal coming form a Federation base. They have been requesting permission for nearly 13 hours now, " said the computer.

_The Federation?_ Samus hadn't been contacted by them in 8 years. The last time had been the mission on Aether. After that she'd told them (somewhat politely) that she wasn't going to be their babysitter anymore, and, unless it was a matter of Galactic safety, she didn't care. They hadn't called her since.

But know they were calling. Did she want to respond? _Hmm..,_

"I can stream the conference to your helmet my Lady. Do you want that?" asked Creto.

"Ugh," sighed Samus as she stood up and started to pace. She was going to regret this later. "Yes."

There was static as Creto rewired the line and then a voice.

"Samus Aran?" asked a deep but kind male voice.

"Speaking," said Samus.

"Miss Aran, this is Galactic Council Chairman Joseph Torim. I understand that after the Aether mission you requested to not be contacted, but I have a request that is of my own personal need and not commissioned by the Federation. Will you listen to it?"

"Go on Mr. Torim," answered Samus. She had a feeling that this man had an authentic need.

"I am not sure if you are aware yet, but late last night there was an assassination attempt on the life of an Ambassador at the Unity Ball."

A strong sickening feeling filled Samus's entire body. _An Ambassador was nearly killed…_She opened her mouth to ask Torim who the Ambassador had been, but Torim beat her to it.

"Well, this man survived, but the would-be assassin escaped," continued Torim. "I am a supporter of this Ambassador and what he stands for. He needs protection and you are the only one I think can handle this task. There is more to this attempt then one displeased citizen…Please I would discuss more with you if you will meet me at Saint Thomas Moore's Hospital in Vastial."

Eight yearsago, Samus had been forced to live for a week on the planet/city Nebulon while her ship was being repaired. There she had met and formed a friendship with one of the mechanics working on her ship, the man with dark eyes, Maelos. Though their time together had been short, Samus and Maelos had formed a friendship; the first friendship Samus had been a part of since her time with the Chozo. She could feel a deep bond between them, one that was now pulling fiercely at her heart.

She had promised to watch the news for him as he left to try to help the galaxy, and she had. Through media clips and hacking into databases, Samus had observed Maelos's rise to Ambassador, and she was very proud of him. But this bounty had forced her to cut off all broadcasting and receiving of broadcasts because she couldn't risk detection. She had no idea what the rest of the Galaxy had been doing for the last 3 weeks. Samus had lost 3 weeks worth of news about her friend. What if he had done something great or what if something had happened to him…?

"Which Ambassador was it?" asked Samus quickly.

"Maelos Tebral, from Nebulon."

Samus's pacing stopped. Her visor hid her face, but behind it her eyes trembled as she breathed in sharply. _Maelos! _Her mind screamed. _My friend is in trouble! _

Several emotions flooded her- anger, fear, the need to reach him, and something of betrayal.

_If you hadn't taken this bounty you would have known about what he was doing, you could have protected him! It's on your head! _Shouted an accusing voice in her mind. _How could I have known? _Said Samus back, _it's not my fault! _But deep inside her, in a place Samus could not reach, there was a withering, dark feeling. Samus knew that Maelos being nearing killed was not at all her doing, but still she felt guilty

"I want you to guard Mr. Tebral until this is sorted out. I have reason to believe that…well I would like to speak with you face to face about this as soon as possible," he said over the wire.

"I'm on my way right now," answered Samus urgently.

The arrangements were made and Samus hurriedly went aboard her ship. Onboard, Creto was silent; it could sense an unusual sensation in its mistress. What was it? Urgency? Anger? Maybe fear?

"Creto, set a course to Bruxig, the fastest one there is."

"What about the smugglers and your bounty?" answered Creto.

"We're dropping them off at Iruin and contacting Mr. Puolon about the drug's whereabouts. He can pick them up on his own; I don't care if he docks my pay. We need to get to Maelos, set the course to Bruxig."

"Right away," answered Creto. "What about Maelos?"

Samus was opening the manual control panel on her arm cannon to check its condition. She answered, "he's in trouble. Someone tried to kill him last night and he's injured."

Creto was silent. Creto was a computer, but it had been made by the Chozo, as had Samus's spaceship. It could feel. It could, and did, love people, and Maelos was one of the people Creto had grown to love.

"We're going to meet them in Vastial, at the hospital. He's okay, and if he isn't right now, he will be when I get there," said Samus.

Samus sighed deeply. _Why do I always leave my friends? I couldn't do anything for my Chozo friends or my parents. But I will do something for him!_

"Put it on auto pilot," she told Creto.

It was 7 hours to Bruxig. If Torim was going to put her on surveillance, then she needed some sleep. But Samus didn't feel like sleeping, not with all of these thoughts running through her mind. _Think of Chonena, think of home, _she told herself. And by thinking of her Chozo mother and their house by the gnarled tree, Samus managed to fall into an uneasy sleep.

7 hours later, after crossing 3 sectors, a stop at the nearest Bounty Holding Station, and docking her ship, Samus reached Room 31 in the East wing at Saint Thomas Moore's Hospital. She was still wearing her Power suit, and everyone gave her a look of fear and awe.

She gently knocked, but the sound was harsh because of the alloyed knuckles. A slot in the wall opened and a strange looking camera zoomed out.

"Iris identification please," said a monotone female voice.

A wave of light crashed into Samus's visor, and she stepped back in annoyance.

"Please remove the article blocking your eyes. Please---"

"Miss Aran?" came the muted sound of Joseph Torim's voice through the door. The camera disappeared back into its slot.

"It's me," said Samus.

The alloy door slid open and there was Torim standing at the foot of a hospital bed. A curtain blocked off the patient, but Samus could see a nurse giving fluids.

"I am so glad you came Miss Aran, and I'm sorry about the scanners, I should have told you," said Torim genuinely.

"Grace? Could you leave us for a minute or two?"

"Yes sir," said the nurse as she left, but not before giving Samus a curious look.

"Come and sit," motioned Torim to a pair of chairs by the room's window.

Samus quietly walked over and sat down. The seat she was given gave her a perfect view of her future charge.

Propped up by a pillow, the Ambassador for Nebulon, Maelos Tebral, smiled at her with his dark eyes. He looked tired and weak. An IV was in his hand, and there was a large bandage around his chest that stretched over his left shoulder.

A sudden wave of fulfilled anxiety hit Samus as Torim tried to talk to her. He was saying something about the hospital's schedule, but she couldn't hear him. All she could see was Maelos.

She hadn't seen him since that rainy day on Nebulon, when she had left his father's mechanic shop. All that had happened during that week on Nebulon now came rushing into her head. He had opened up her heart to old memories and taught her the value of friendship again. He had, in a way, saved her.

"Miss Aran, this is Maelos Tebral, the Ambassador who was shot last night."

The eyes behind her visor moved to his wound. Her stomach lurched at the sight of it, and the voice in her head started up again. _If you had been there—_

_I couldn't have been there! _Shouted Samus, _it is not my fault! Any wrong I might have done is going to be corrected. I'm here for him now; I am his protector._

"Miss Aran," said Maelos feebly, "can you take off your helmet? It's kinda creeping me out."

Torim looked at Maelos in surprise, a look of 'how dare you', but Samus complied. She removed her helmet and golden locks of hair spilled out. Placing the helmet in her lap, she smiled at Maelos, and he smiled back.


	3. Of Missions and Meetings

_This is a shorter, but very important chapter. It contains a lot of dialogue and emotion. _

Chapter 3: Of Missions and Meetings

"The weapon was a handheld pistol," said Torim to Samus and Maelos, "an ancient firearm now completely out-dated. The Corneta Building has some of the highest security; it can detect any type of weapon---"

"Except this old pistol?" asked Samus with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. That's because it was made of an unclassified, not on the market kind of organic plastic. Probably the only thing in the galaxy the detectors wouldn't pick up. This means the person who wanted Maelos dead has connections with the newest technology and plenty of money to spare. This gun cost a fortune to make. All of the knowledge to make it is lost, and no one uses them because they are inaccurate---"

"That's a good thing," snorted Maelos.

"The point of the story is," continued Torim, "this person wants Maelos dead, and they will try until they succeed."

"Which won't happen," remarked Samus.

"Yes, but we must be ready for anything," said Torim.

The night was growing long as they continued talking, Samus in her bio-suit, Torim pacing the length of the room, and Maelos held up by pillows, his fatigue nearly causing him to fall asleep. They went over the details of the assassination attempt, and Samus was brought up to date on all of the political news.

"You look tired," Samus told Maelos after he yawned.

"Yeah, I am tired," he yawned again.

Just then a bell tone came from a control pad by the door. Torim had explained this earlier to Samus. St. Thomas Moore's hospital had a great entry system. Visitors checked into the main office and were given a identity check and an iris-scan. This was forwarded to the room they wanted to visit, and they had to complete the same process to enter the room.

The control panel lit up with a name and Torim rose to go and see whom it was. Upon seeing the name, he granted them access, and the door opened.

Standing in the doorway was Geros Tebral, the mechanic form Nebulon, Maelos's father.

When Geros saw his son, the relief was evident. His life, his hope for the future, was safe and alive. In silence he walked to Maelos. Then the embrace, both passionate and careful, an embrace Maelos returned with equal joy.

"I came as soon as I could!" said Geros through tears, his gruff voice choked.

"I know," replied Maelos softly.

"I was so worried…" said Geros as he released Maelos. Holding his son at arm's length, he looked at him as if making sure it was really Maelos and not a ghost.

A few moments later he realized there were other people in the room, Torim and Samus.

To Torim he offered his hand to shake and a respectful acknowledgement. To Samus, he didn't know what to do.

Her presence was startling, and yet he had knew that she would reappear in his life. Their last meeting had been anything but smooth, but Geros was ready to move past that though; he just didn't know how.

Since Maelos had confronted him with her support, on that faithful rainy day, he had forged a great relationship with his son. Could he have a friendship with her too? She was partially responsible for his conversion…

"Geros," Samus said in a neutral voice, "I haven't seen you in a long time."

"Have you meant before?" asked Torim.

"I was of service to Miss Aran once," answered Geros as he continued to look at Samus. His glance was timid and unsure.

"Miss Aran," he said slowly, "we had a bad start. I treated you badly, and I misused you, but I don't want to be that man anymore. I am not that man anymore! I've changed. Miss Aran, will you accept my apology and friendship?"

The question hung tensely in the air, waiting for Samus to take it. Part of her was resentful towards him, angry at his abuse. Another part pitied him because of the second chance he had taken. _What would Maelos want? What would the Chozo do? _Forgiveness was a powerful thing…

"Yes, I forgive you, and may our friendship grow," she said with a slight bow of her head. It was the way that the Chozo had always given mercy.

"Thank you," said Geros thankfully, "if I can ever be of service again, just let me know."

"Pardon me," interjected Mr. Joseph Torim, "Seeing as you two have already been introduced, I believe that father and son deserve some alone time. Miss Aran, will you come with me please?"

"I will see you later," said Samus. She replaced her helmet and exited the room with Torim.

Out in the hallway, there was little movement save that of the security cameras and a single nurse carrying a stack of fresh towels.

Torim looked around and placed am arm gently on Samus's armored back. He slowly led her down the hall, his head low and his voice quiet.

"What I'm about to tell you is very secret and extremely dangerous. I will tell the Tebrals later, but you must be told now."

As they reached a corner, he stopped her and peered around it. Once satisfied, he started down the new hall. _What is he so worried about?_ Thought Samus, _does he think someone in the hospital will try to attack us?_ Then a voice asked- _is it that impossible? _Samus stiffened and went on alert.

"Maelos was attacked because he was gaining support," stated Torim, "now, who would feel threatened by him so much that they would try to silence him?"

Samus thought and could think of most anyone: criminal lords, psychopaths, corrupt politicians…she had a feeling it was the last.

"If Maelos became his quadrant's Council Member, he would most likely have to join one of the parties in the House or the Council. The current Council is mostly held by members of the Zenain party. They oppose nearly everything Maelos would stand for. They like veiled tyranny, the survival of the fittest. They make the rich richer and the poor left for dead."

Here he stopped, "trust me. I have seen all of this first-hand, the Galactic Council is in bad shape. But the public doesn't know this. They are too trusting, and the Council covers its tracks too well."

"I think that I know who is responsible for this," he continued, "his name is Gavin Medici."

Samus paused in her step. Gavin Medici was the most prominent of the Council Members, its unofficial leader, and head of the Zenain Party. Known for his strong will and inability to compromise, he had swept the Council race in his quadrant.

"But this is more then just Maelos!" Torim sighed. He growled under his breath and nearly cursed. "I vetoed Medici every time, but he has too many followers, basically the entire House is in love with him. They think he is some sort of Messiah! And in the last month he has had more executive power granted to the Council then at any other time in history."

"You think he's planning something? Don't you?' asked Samus.

"Yes, and I'm very worried," replied Torim. His anxiety was obvious, and Samus felt a shiver down her back.

At this time they reached the elevator. Torim stepped in and Samus followed, wondering where they were going.

Once the elevator started to descend the 62 flights to the floor level, Torim reached into his coat pocket. Samus's instincts flared, and she pointed her cannon at his chest.

"Stop!" she ordered.

"Calm down Miss Aran," said Torim, "I am one of the few you can trust right now."

He finished pulling his arm out of his jacket and handed Samus a piece of paper.

"Crude, yes I know," he said, referring to the paper, "but it was the only thing I had at the moment."

Samus studied the paper. On it was a cryptic code of some type that included letters, numbers, and strange figures from a forgotten language.

"That is the code into the Galactic Council headquarters between the hours of 12-6 am Polarian time, on Tuesday the 13th of May."

"That's in 2 days," replied Samus. Then it hit her. "You want me to break into the Galactic Council's Headquarters?"

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" hissed Torim.

"But why?" countered Samus.

The elevator was on the 34th floor. It stopped, and the doors opened to reveal a doctor waiting for it. He saw Samus and dropped the many files he was carrying. Fuming, Samus pressed the 'close doors' button, leaving the doctor on the 34th.

"I can't do this!" she told Torim.

"Yes you can! You are the only one who can do this, and I'm counting on you," said Torim. "The files are too heavily guarded for me to get in, even with my entrance codes. I need you to break in and find out anything and everything you can on Medici-if he planned the assassination attempt, if and how he'll try again, and, most importantly, what he is planning because I know something is going to happen; I just don't know what."

Ding! The elevator shook as they reached ground-level. The doors opened and Samus followed Torim outside. In the lobby it still very active-patients, nurses, doctors, and relatives all in a mess of voices and bodies.

Samus quickly put the paper in her thigh compartment. Trying to look inconspicuous, _like that'll work, _she walked directly behind Torim.

He led her outdoors to the docking bay. Samus's ship was easily spotted with its orange finish. They both headed to it.

"Miss Aran," said Torim, "we, Maelos and all of us, need you to do this."

"How could a situation like this happen?' asked Samus, "aren't all Council Members elected by the people?"

"Yes, but like I said, they are good at covering their tracks," answered Torim.

"I thought you hired me to protect Maelos?' asked Samus suddenly.

"While you're gone, I will have my own personal squad of GF soldiers watching him. The fact that neither the Council nor the House supplied him with troops supports my theory," smiled Torim. "Please, just do this quickly, and return quickly. We can discuss what happens later when you get back."

Slowly, Samus turned and entered her ship.

It was 3 am when Geros and Torim were at the main office checking Geros in as a permanent guest. Maelos shifted in his bed, waking up from a peaceful sleep. He had almost fallen back asleep when the entry pad lit up.

On the stand near his bed, was a remote for the control pad. Maelos sleepily took it and looked at the name-Sonilla Torim. _A someone Torim?_ Then a thought came to him, maybe it was…

Maelos opened the door. The privacy curtain was drawn back so that he couldn't actually see the door. Through it though, he could see the outline of a woman.

"Father?" came her voice quietly.

"He's not here right now, but he will be in a few minutes," answered Maelos.

Sonilla froze at his voice, like a child who knows they have been caught in the act.

"I didn't realize you were awake. I'm sorry, I'll leave," she said hurriedly.

"No, you can wait for him," said Maelos.

"Alright," she said.

Maelos reached out and gently tugged the curtain back so he could see the rest of the room. Sonilla Torim stood in front of him, one hand grasping the elbow of the other arm in an expression of uncertainty and uneasiness. Gentle but definite features formed her face, and her curly red hair fell onto the shoulders of the pale green leather jacket she was wearing. She was Torim's daughter and the lady from the elevator.

"Would you like to sit down?" asked Maelos as he gestured to the sofa next to her and the chair at the foot of his bed.

"Yes," she replied and quickly sat on the sofa. Then, as if to justify her presence, she said, "I came to see my father because he wants me to go to the final Unity Ball convention with him. He said he was helping a friend who was sick, but I had no idea it was Maelos Tebral."

"Am I that famous now?" Maelos asked.

"In the last day there's been nothing else on the news. You're very lucky this hospital has a 'no news-crew' policy."

She glanced at him, and then smiled timidly at him. Déjà vu hit him hard.

And suddenly Maelos became self-conscious. _I must look like a mess, my hair and clothes, jeeze! _But just as he was going to ask her more about herself, Torim and Geros arrived.

They stepped in and so did a half a dozen GF troopers.

"These are my private escorts, led by Captain Rocero," Torim said, and the mentioned captain saluted, "they will be staying with you tonight. My daughter, it seems you two have just met, and I will be going to our hotel. It's just down the road, and I'll be back in the morning," the exhaustion was starting to show on Torim. He definitely needed some rest.

"Where is Sam--?" started Maelos.

"Good-night," Torim said as he left the room.

"Bye," said Sonilla as she followed him.

Four of the troopers followed them outside, and two stayed inside.

"Two of us will be stationed inside your room tonight Mr. Ambassador," started Rocero, "two more outside the doorway, and two patrolling the hallway."

"Thank you captain," said Maelos in a very formal tone. In the last 5 years he had dealt with GF soldiers plenty of times.

"Please, just relax and try to sleep," finished the captain as he walked back over to the doorway and his partner.

"This is interesting," Geros said, "but not as interesting as Joseph's daughter, she was very pretty," he commented.

"Yes, she was," Maelos admitted.

"But you need some sleep," said Geros more solemnly as he replaced the privacy curtain, "and so do I."

Geros made a bed for himself on the sofa. Stacking up the extra pillows and wrapping a blanket around himself, he collapsed on it. In seconds he was snoring.

The lights were turned off, but Maelos could see the lights from the troopers' helmets; they cast eerie shadows on the curtain. He stayed awake for hours in the presence of his guards, pondering on what had happened to him, whether he would see Torim and Sonilla tomorrow, and wondering where Samus was.

_Sorry this one took a little longer to write and update. I wanted to make sureI got it right, and hopefully I did. Hey, MakoAnima, does this help your uneasiness?_


	4. Would She Rather Be Anywhere Else?

_I am very sorry for the delay, but finally, I give you Chapter four! This contains a lot more action. I also take full advantage of Morph Ball Mode and the GF soldiers. _

Chapter 4: Would She Be Anywhere Else?

Silence prevailed in the cockpit of Samus's huntership, and the quiet was mirrored by the dark. Everything in the ship was turned off except a single, low-powered blinking red light.

Then, a word, "Creto?"

The computer's reply was instant, transmitted to Samus, but not spoken out loud.

"What is it my Lady?" it asked.

"Does HQ have sensors in the ventilation system?"

Creto used the scanners and found none.

"No, Samus, it appears not, but they are carrying heated air in an excess of 400 degrees kalvin and are only---"

"Only 1 and a half by 2 feet, yeah I know," came Samus from the other line.

"You aren't thinking of entering that way, are you?" asked a concerned Creto.

"We've been staking-out this place for almost two days, Creto. You and I both know there's no other way, and we're running out of time. Hack in their systems and send me the ventilation map," commanded Samus.

"Yes, my Lady," Creto said.

Outside the silence of the cockpit there was an even deeper silence. The ship was cloaked in invisibility and hovering softly besides the space station that was the Galactic Federation's Headquarters.

The space station was top of the line with special defenses against intruders, but no designer could have anticipated the morph ball mode of a certain Chozo made bio-suit.

So, nearly a mile away, drifting in space at the other end of the station, the Hunter made ready. As Creto uploaded the map to her suit, Samus studied the vent in front of her.

The vent quickly opened and spurts of toxins came out, floating as formless blobs into the nothing of space. Samus gave the propulsion unit she'd found on Aether to propel herself towards it. Then she went into morph ball and boosted herself in as the vent closed.

The sensation of being compressed and contorted into a sphere was something Samus found invigorating. Only the Chozo had technology for this, and she was now the only one to have it.

While in morph ball mode, Samus's senses were altered. Somehow she could still think and visualize in her mind, but she could not see. Her movements were ruled by vibrations and the gravity that every object gave off. The Chozo had taught her how to 'feel the world around you', and that teaching made navigating the morph ball possible.

The Galactic Federation Headquarters was a space station made of five levels layered into the shape of a ring. Where Samus needed to go was on the fifth level, the innermost ring.

After ten minutes of rolling through the vents Samus stopped. According to her map, this was her exit. She set a low-power bomb.

The bomb exploded softly and weakened the grate but did not destroy it. Samus pushed against it, and it gave in. _Easier to just blow it up, but that's easier for soldiers to hear and for any other sensors to pick up. _

Samus uncurled from Morph ball mode, her body tingling at the change. She stood upright and said to Creto, "let's get started."

"You have many tests up ahead," answered the computer, "you can still turn back."

"Like I would," snorted Samus.

"As you wish," said Creto, who had only mentioned the idea of aborting out of its primary instinct to keep Samus alive. _But I know she would never back down, it's not her_.

The halls of the GF HQ were extremely plush. Thick carpet lay on the floor, muffling Samus's footfalls. Looking up, Samus could see the expensive wood trim and ancient paintings that covered the walls. Every 10 feet or so there was a wall lamp; they were movement oriented and lit up as Samus approached, then almost extinguished themselves as she passed by.

There were no cameras here. The Council was entirely corrupted and so was most of the House. So they assumed everyone that reached level 5 was a friend because they would have passed all of the prior sercurity checks. Security was to protect the good from the bad, but at this level there was only the bad and the ignorant.

At the end of the hall was a door. The door was made in the same expensive tastes-mahogany wood carved with elaborate drawings. It was the entrance to level five, behind which Samus would find the answers she, and Maelos, needed.

A panel on the door's right lit up as Samus approached. 'Please enter the password' came up in text written in the Common Tongue; it was followed by the same message in many other languages.

Samus had preprogrammed the password into her suit, now it appeared on her visor, and she entered it in. Halfway through she stopped. Mixed in with the numbers and gibberish were several Chozian figures. Delicately drawn, they shamed the other letters in their beauty. _And in meaning_, remembered Samus. For the Chozo's language was far more expressive then any other tongue.

And then anger rose in Samus. They were using Chozian letters in disregard, and probably unknowingly. Using the words of a culture they had allowed to die, and, afterwards, had stolen and killed for their technology. _How far does their arrogance and ignorance go?_

She quieted her anger though and finished the password. The door opened.

The following room was alive with the buzz of monitors and uploading stations. The fabulous decorations of the former room were replaced by blue glass and alloy rods.

Level five had three compartments. The one Samus was in now held classified statistics of the numerous planets and their recent discoveries and inventions that could not be released to the public yet. A short metal staircase led to a green door that would take her to the second compartment, where potentially dangerous information lay. After that would be the third and final room, held in the center of the headquarters, a room that only the Council was allowed into…

Samus wasted no time and went to the green door. There she entered the secondary code Torim had given her. The door opened and she entered. This room was no different from the other.

To her right, Samus eyed the final door, _so many doors_.

This was the one Torim had told her about. This was where his access, and her help, ended.

She scanned the door's lock and tried to find a way in. After several unsuccessful minutes she relayed the task to Creto.

"Creto, can you hack into this?" she asked.

"Let me see," said Creto.

On Samus's visor the message 'requesting access' appeared. There was a slim chance Creto may be able to by-pass the required codes. If it couldn't then Samus would have to find an alternate route.

"I am sorry Samus, but this code is too complex; it would take me at least 2 weeks to find the correct access code," Creto said sadly.

"That's okay," Samus told it, "Now I need to know is the closest station of any GF soldiers here."

"The closest soldiers are on level 3, approximately 4 minutes away," said Creto.

"Nearest point of exit?"

A map appeared on her visor as Creto highlighted the nearest exit. It required getting back into the ventilation and going to level 2 where there was a solitary window in a guest's bedroom.

"That's the best one?" asked Samus in dismay.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Going back the way you came is too long. They'll realize where you've gone and close off the vents; you will get trapped. And the walls of this station are too fortified to break, even for the ship's blasters. This is the only way," said Creto slowly.

"Okay, be there and be ready for a quick getaway," Samus sighed.

This was it. She could turn back or go through with this. If she broke into this room, escape would be difficult, near impossible, to make without someone seeing and recognizing her. She was putting her entire relationship with the Federation on the line. But then again, they didn't really care for her. She was just a way of fixing their problems, an expensive solution. Did it matter what happened with them_? I can always start over somewhere else; I've done it before_. She had always been an outsider anyway.

_Still_, she thought, _I can't believe I'm about to do this_, but a part deep inside her, the place she couldn't reach asked-_would you rather be anywhere else_?

So, summing up her strength, Samus again scanned the door in front of her. It was made of a high quality alloy, but was susceptible to strong concussive blasts.

Samus began charging up her Power beam. She slowly backed away to a reasonable distance and then let the Power missile go.

The missile hit the door with a tremendous explosion of glass and fire. An alarm immediately went off. Samus charged into the room.

This room was small and circular with a single monitor and uploading station in the center.

Samus went to the station and hooked up her suit to it, _3 minutes 55 seconds_.

She scanned through the file names and picked the one titled 'Sharjak'.

The next three minutes were a blur as Samus picked apart the information with an expert eye and downloaded them to her suit's database. The more she read the more serious it she realized it was and the more horrified she became. _What evil is here_?

"They're on the fifth level Samus!" shouted Creto into her helmet.

Samus turned to the hole that had been a door. There were faint noises coming from it.

_Last file_, she thought. She accessed the last file. It was untitled.

It was a strange blueprint. She couldn't tell at first glance what it was supposed to be.

"Samus!" screamed Creto.

"Upload file, now!" commanded Samus.

Seven GF soldiers were rushing at her. Samus twisted to face them and shot one before they all could enter the room. _Don't break the line_! She told herself.

The remaining six soldiers surrounded her. They fired a quick round, and Samus, who was stuck on a leash of sorts, was unable to dodge most of them. She aimed to shoot one when the opposite soldier blasted her square in the chest. Samus went flying back and had to grab the actual upload station to keep from severing the uploading link.

They were on her in a moment. Laser batons cut at her suit, and she screamed as they reached her skin. She heard the commander yell that they 'wanted her alive' as they continued to beat her. A brave but foolish soldier came close and brought his cannon back in a position to strike her.

Samus saw it coming and couldn't do anything, but that's the second she heard-"Upload com--"

She didn't wait for the rest.

Samus kicked low and the approaching soldier landed on his back. Two other soldiers grabbed her arms to restrain her as the others opened fire on her again.

Samus went into morph ball mode. The soldiers cried out in surprise as she rolled around their feet and out of the circle they had made around her.

Samus laid three bombs that exploded and threw the soldiers up against the blue glass walls. Coming out of morph ball, Samus fired a swift arc of beam shots. The wall panels shattered and flew on them. Before any of them could get up, Samus was on the move again.

Samus flew through the next two rooms and back into the plush hallway, the alarm blaring in the background.

"About 100 yards down the hall is the vent you need to take," said Creto, trying to remain calm. It had assisted its mistress through dozens of escapes, but each one was just as nerve racking.

Samus sprinted down the hall, pumping her arms and assisted by her bio-suit. At the end of the hall, the wall lights started to turn on and Samus knew someone was coming.

She saw the vent entrance and blasted it to bits with a missile. Quickly ducking into morph ball, she disappeared from the approaching soldiers.

PFC Fred Angseth was at his station on level 2. The space station was now on full alert; a break-in was happening. All soldiers were ordered to their posts, and all political guests were ordered into their rooms. It was now an offical lock-down, something that had never happened before.

So when Angseth heard a sound down the hallway, he took a knee and aimed his assult weapon down the hall.

There was a sudden fury of blasts as whoever was down that hallway blasted the wall lights to pieces. The hall went dark and Angseth's heartbeat started to race.

He had joined the military to get away from home, to explore the galaxy, and because of his older sister, SPC M. Angseth.

Brenda Angseth had loved the adventure and was even further inspired by the bounty hunter, Samus Aran. She had been part of the group that had been on Aether, a 'noble battle' Fred always called it. He was proud of his sister, and wanted to make her proud too.

And even when his heart was pounding and possible death hung in the air, Fred Angseth thought about how Brenda had been found by her own idol, and how much it would have meant to her. _It would be quite an honor to meet Aran_…

Through the dark hall came a rolling patch of light. Fred had no time at all to respond as a blue bomb exploded and knocked him unconscious.

"Almost there," said Creto as Samus came out of morph ball mode in front of a guest's bedroom.

She blasted it with a missile and entered.

A man was yelling and shooting at her with a beam gun. Samus side-stepped his shots and grabbed the gun from his hands. The politician cringed in fear and uttered requests of mercy. He crouched in the corner, avoiding her eyes and staring at her arm cannon in fear.

Samus glared at him harshly through her visor and then moved towards the window. He immediately ran for the door when she turned her back, and ran out into the hall screaming. She paid him no notice and advanced to the window at the end of the room.

She broke it, and the vacuum of space pulled her swiftly out of the room towards her awaiting ship.

_I was debating on whether or not to include Angseth in this chapter. I always found her interesting in MP2:Echoes and I wanted to use her in some way. Please tell me if you agree with me using her brother. I have plans for him, but I want reader input._


	5. The Waiting Game

_Hello! Beware: this chapter contains a **huge** amount of dialogue, but don't tune any of it out; it's very important!_

Chapter 5: The Waiting Game

_"8-16'Tebral'-He is gaining too much support. This little man from Nebulon cannot be allowed to gain a seat! Medici has_ _organized our plan to kill him, operation Silence…"_

_"9-13'Zenain'-…the galaxy is full of useless beings. Now, after much argument and deliberation, the Council has decided, for the better of all society, to try for our High Nation. There will no longer be a worthless life- only that with value to society, those that do not tax our resources and valuable people... need for these beings will no longer be required in such a place…"_

_"11-20'Sharjak'-Contact with the rogue Space Pirate leader had been made and a profitable alliance has been created . Sharjak, their leader, is a fierce individual, but he was pursued to agree with us in our Noble Cause... The plan will start when operation Silence has been accomplished. Meanwhile…"_

_"2-17'Weapon Fear'-…is the best weapon. It will drive the destruction that will prepare the way for our High Nation…the manifest…derived from Phazon, which we acquired form Sharjak. He is very helpful…Then, like a phoenix, we shall rise from the ashes and restore society to it's proper place. Let it begin soon! _

_"5-10-Plan Silence has failed! It failed, and with that failure our plans are delayed. A second attempt is being made ready, but Medici has displayed his malcontent. This second attempt will have a higher publicity and failure rate, perhaps we should wait for a different catalyst… This try will have to wait until he leaves that terrible hospital…Sharjak grows impatient…"_

_"5-11-'Traitors'-There are traitors in our presence! Someone has been sneaking into our files. Luckily, no one has reached clearance 3 on level 5, this very file. It was feared something like this might happen…treason will be met with death. Life to the High Nation!" _

These are excerpts of the files Samus found at the Galactic Council Headquarters…

Samus ran through the hallway of St. Thomas Moore's Hospital, unheeding to the shouts from doctors and nurses. Even without her powerful bio-suit she flew through the halls, dashing around corners like a sprinter on the last turn.

Horror and rage fueled her. What she had found about Medici was still fresh in her mind. She had to tell them!

Samus pulled up at Maelos's room, barely panting from her race. She pounded on the door with her fist and shouted "Maelos!"

The mechanical camera emerged and moved towards Samus. Before it could start to speak, Samus had snapped it off of it's metal arm and continued to knock on the door.

Suddenly, rough hands landed on her shoulders and she was turned around into the stare of two GF soldiers.

"Please don't do that, miss," said one through his helmet.

Samus looked at them angrily and said, "I must see Mr.Tebral!"

"How do you know he is here?" the second soldier asked when the door opened.

"Oh, Aideen. There you are!" said Geros.

"You know this lady?" Roscero asked.

"Oh, yes," Geros said, "she is a very good family friend. I'm sure she's just anxious to see Maelos."

Roscero peered at the camera and then at Samus, who tired to look innocent.

"Are you sure Mr. Tebral? You know the current situation."

"Yes, I'm sure!" exclaimed Geros as if Roscero was questioning his sanity. Samus slipped into the room before the soldier could question any more.

"We need some privacy," he told the two troopers in the hospital room.

"Yes sir!" they answered with a swift salute and then left.

Once they were gone, Maelos ripped back the privacy curtain and stared at Samus.

"Samus!" he exclaimed in relief.

"Maelos, I--" Samus began to say when Geros interrupted.

"Samus, do you have any idea what has happened in the last eight hours?" He grabbed the remote off the small hospital room table and turned on the TV, which was the portion of the wall directly in front of him.

Lights flashed on the screen as pictures of a smoldering room filled it. Samus looked closer and saw a message running on the bottom of the screen. It said, "Samus Aran destroys Galactic Council HQ!" in the Common Tongue and then continued on in different languages.

Samus swallowed as a picture of herself in her bio-suit appeared on the Galactic News. It was the same on that she had seen in a magazine while reading "The True Story of Samus Aran: Part I" 8 years ago.

"Oh no," she said softly. They were the only words she could manage to say. All at once it was what she had expected, and, somehow, it was much worse.

"You missed the worst of it," said Geros more calmly, "Joseph got a call early this morning about what happened. Of course he already knew what had occurred, but as Chairman he had to address the public on the problem."

"So he had to go on the Galactic News and discredit you to everyone in the galaxy," finished Maelos.

"In his defense, he was only reading what the Council had wrote, but now you're public enemy number one," said Geros. "It's kinda of like betrayal, without the actual intent."

A momentary quiet fell. Each person thinking of the paradox they had created. The blade they were walking on was very thin indeed. Torim was so close to the object of their hate and action; he was right under Medici's nose. They had sent him, or he had sent himself, into the lion's den.

"Where is the ship?" asked Geros.

"Cloaked and undetectable, one mile above our heads," Samus said and pointed up, "but I have some things I have to tell you, in private, somewhere safe," she continued impatiently.

"Alright," replied Maelos as he sat up in his bed. He was shirtless; the bandage on his shoulder covering most of his torso. He was also wearing a pair of jeans and his shoes and socks were on the floor near his bed.

"I'm cleared to leave today. I just need one more visit from the doctor to put on the travel bandage and remove this IV. Then I'm out of here."

"Good," said Samus, "it's time we got out of this place, it's like a bullseye."

Suddenly the entrance pad lit up. Maelos glanced at it and then opened the door. Sonilla hurried in, flanked by a doctor and a heavy-set nurse. The soldiers guarding the door peered after them with amusement and chuckles.

"Set aside!" shouted the nurse. Her voice was tinged with a rolling accent, one that had come from Old Earth many years ago.

"Idiotas! Siempre en mi manera!" she cursed, and then pushed Sonilla aside as she headed to Maelos.

Geros quickly moved out of her way, but Samus remained unmoving, _who is she to barge her way in here!_

"Didn't you hear me?" asked the nurse when she was blocked by Samus.

"Please, Reberta, respect our guests!" exclaimed the tired looking doctor, "I apologize for her," he said to Samus.

Reberta fumed and carefully made her way around Samus, which was very difficult because of her larger size. When she finally reached Maelos, she closed the privacy curtain and started to work.

"Now, Mr. Tebral is cleared to leave. He doesn't any check ups in the future; he is completely healed," said the doctor to Geros. Then to Maelos he said, "you only need to sign here and you can leave Mr. Ambassador."

"Sure," came Maelos's voice. It was then followed by the sound of ripping bandages and a yelp of pain.

The doctor came over to Maelos with the clipboard. While Maelos was signing, he looked at the TV and sighed.

"I can't believe what is happening in our age," he said.

"Well," started Rebeta, "I hope they find that Samus, that bounty hunter, that _girl! _And when they do…" she smiled spitefully.

"I hope they hang her from a tree like they used to in the Old Earth!"

"Thank you, Reberta, for brightening everyone's day," sighed the doctor, "come on, let's leave these people in peace."

Once they had left, everyone was silent. They all stared at Samus, who was looking out the window, possibly contemplating how best to throw Reberta out of it.

"Don't listen to them, Samus," Maelos told her..

Sonilla stiffened when Maelos called Samus by her real name. Her father had told her about his fears and that Samus was working for him. She had absolute trust in her father and believed everything he said. But now, face-to-face with Samus Aran (who was a killer by any measure) she found it difficult to remain calm and look the Hunter in the face.

"Samus, this is Sonilla Torim, Joseph's daughter," introduced Geros.

"It's nice to meet you," Sonilla said weakly.

"Hi," replied Samus shortly. She had no reason to be mean to Sonilla; in fact, she needed to be friendly with her because of the circumstances, but her impatience was growing. But even in her eagerness to leave, she had to do something.

Samus turned her gaze on Sonilla, immediately sizing her up. Torim's daughter was timid by the way she lowered her head; her body language was also very reserved, _but this could be because of my presence_, Samus reminded herself.

She was pretty but not vain. Hazel eyes looked out from under her mane of red hair, and it was these eyes that Samus focused on. _You can tell alot about a person by looking in their eyes, or the Chozo had always thought so anyway._

And Sonilla tried to look away from those piercingly sharp, searching eyes, but she couldn't. When Samus found what she was looking for, she turned around to Maelos, and Sonilla let out a sigh of relief.

"What is my identity supposed to be, this 'Aideen'?"

"You are Aideen Bridgid, from a wealthy family on Aret," said Maelos as he found a shirt and put it on. He continued while putting on his socks and shoes, "you're visiting me to make sure I'm okay. Mr. Torim even has an identity card and credit account for you. He should be meeting us later tonight, after the Council is finished with its 'public comforting'."

"Alright," said Samus as she took the identity and account card Maelos handed her, "let's go."

"Where?" asked Geros.

Samus turned to Sonilla and said, "your hotel room."

Samus strolled out of the room and started to talk with Captain Roscero outside. Geros went out and stood besides them, listening and affirming whatever Samus said.

Roscero called for a registered GF vehicle to transport them to the hotel and then led them to the exit along with the other five troopers.

"Mr. Torim gave us very clear orders: we are to protect you and your family at all costs. We follow you everywhere and take you anywhere want," said Roscero as the elevator reached groundlevel.

They stepped out and into the waiting crowd. Cameras flashed and reporters shoved their microphones at them. Sentinel beings of every kind were crammed in the lobby and outside on the sandstone steps. They stared at Maelos and shouted out both curses and blessings.

"V formation!" shouted Roscero above the noise. Immediately his soldiers surrounded them and pushed away the swarming crowd.

They reached the road and found their ride waiting for them. It was a huge hovercraft, boxy and armored. It was painted a sleek black and displayed the GF icon on its sides.

"Get in!" yelled Roscero.

The other soldiers opened the doors and helped them in as Roscero swung around and got in the driver's seat. Then, in a roar of desperate questions and engines, they headed to the Grand Vastial Plaza.

The Plaza wasn't very far from St. Thomas Moore's hospital, only 10 or so miles away. It was late afternoon when they stepped out of the armored vehicle and were escorted into the hotel. Luckily, the people there were used to having high profile residents, so the small convey didn't attract any suspicious looks.

Sonilla led them to the 113th of115 floors, and stopped outside of room 1135. Then she swiped the keycard and led them inside.

The furnishing of room 1135 reminded Samus strongly of her room at Ero's Ocean Resort on Nebulon. Polished marble floors and rich wood workings adorned the main room. Half of the outside wall was glass and led out to a balcony overlooking the city, which was quite a view.

The troopers quickly spilt up and searched each room with professional precision. They returned to tell them it was safe and then Roscero assigned them positions in the room.

It was hard for Samus to be this close to GF soldiers. After her flight from Creto, she had been alone and stranded. New to the galaxy, she'd joined up. It didn't take her long to decide that the Federalized military wasn't for her. _Everyone was for the Federation, and it was a terrible master. _The views and beliefs they had thrown at her conflicted so badly with the Ways of the Chozo that she had deserted within 2 months. That's when she had become a bounty hunter, _I am my own boss._

But it was hard being so close to Roscero and his squad. They were expertly trained and equipped, and she was well aware of what they were capable of. If they realized who she was, and she didn't have her suit...it could get ugly.

_Also, that captain, _she noted, _he is a powerful commander and very efficient. _She was almost sad he wasn't a bounty hunter because he would have been good competition.

"Sonilla, you should call your father to see what's going on," she said.

"Okay," replied Sonilla. She pulled out a small, thin cell phone and stepped out onto the balcony. Samus followed her as Geros and Maelos decided what to order for dinner.

"Daddy," Sonilla voiced the word to the phone, and it started to dial.

"Daddy?" Samus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," smiled Sonilla tentatively, giggling, "Dad? Yeah, it's me..."

Samus tuned out the father-daughter conversation and studied the landscape before her.

The building they were in was taller then most of the surrounding ones. Far below them was a 6-lane street full of traffic. The horns and shouts sounded muffled and soft once they reached Samus's ears though. She liked the semi-quiet.

She left Sonilla and walked to the other edge of the balcony. There she took something out of her pocket. It was a transmitter, barely the size of a ball-point pen. She was aware of a pair of eyes watching her and turned her back to them.

"Creto," she whispered into it, "we're at the hotel, intersection of Alantis and Jones. I have a place for you."

"Where My Lady?" came the response.

"The top of a building I'm staring at right now."

"Samus," came the anxious computer, "that's probably not a good idea. What if it has sensors, or they actually use the roof?"

"How often do people use the roof of a 100 floor building? And you have scanners for a reason. Remember?" Samus said mockingly.

"Alright," conceded Creto.

Soon Samus had her huntership stationed, cloaked and undetectable on a near-by roof. It was exactly what she wanted, in case she needed a quick exit or her bio-suit, all things she hoped wouldn't be necessary.

Samus went back inside, leaving Sonilla still on the balcony. Inside their room, Geros and Maelos sat on the couch, eating delivery pizza and laughing at some show on the TV. Roscero stood by the door and glanced at her when she came back in.

Samus looked at the food. In all honesty, she'd never eaten pizza. She couldn't believe the recipe and popularity of an Old Earth food could have survived this long, but it had.

"Try some, S-Aideen," said Maelos, almost letting her name slip. He glanced at Roscero, who hadn't taken notice, shook it off, and handed Samus a slice.

"Fine, why not?" said Samus as she took a bite. _Not bad._.

Samus sat down and began to watch TV with them. Roscero hadthings under control, and he could have the watch for right now. Samus was waiting for Torim to return, then she would take over. She was sure she'd need the rest.

A few minutes later Sonilla came in. She said her father was about 1 hour away and then sat down too.

Everyone was laughing at the show soon, but Samus knew better. They were all just as anxious as she was, thoughts of what Medici might do in their heads too. And their anxiety was only augmented by the presence of the soldiers. Right now was the waiting game, which she had always disliked. _Where is Torim?_

When Torim finally arrived, the city outside was an explosion of night lights and reflective surfaces. He walked in looking terrible, head down and moving slowly.

"Dad," exclaimed his daughter as she ran to his side.

She threw her arms around him and his face brightened up momentarily. Then he looked up and saw all of the eyes on him, especially Samus's.

"Hi, darling," he told Sonilla and then said, "so everyone made it. And Aideen, I haven't seen you in a while."

"It's nice to see you again," said Samus.

"Darn," muttered Maelos, " the pizza's gone. Joseph, do you want anything to eat? I'm going to order something."

"Thank you, Maelos. I'd like an Isirh baskery meal please," said Torim, "I'm not sure where you'll find it though."

"That's okay," answered Maelos as he got up to order.

Samus then stood up and walked over to Torim.

"I have some very important things to discuss with you," she whispered, "but only when they leave?" she gestured to the soldiers.

"In approximately 20 minutes Roscero will receive an order to return to base. So, soon it will be safe" he answered.

Samus sat down again, and sure enough, in 20 minutes Roscero got a call.

"I am sorry Mr. Chairman to have to leave you like this, but all personal units are

being called in for redeployment. We need to be going, the curfew is almost upon us," he said, quite genuinely too.

"It's okay, I'm sure we'll be fine, captain," nodded Torim.

"Alright, men, let's move out!" commanded the captain, and then they were gone.

"Curfew?" asked Maelos as they left.

"Yeah," sighed Torim, "all businesses close at 10:30pm Polarian time, and everyone has to be inside their homes by 10:45."

As they were speaking, Samus took out a microdisk and called everyone around the TV. She inserted the disk and began reading the files, one by one.

Everyone sat mesmerized as the information flooded their minds. The focus was only broken when a shabby-looking teenager arrived to deliver Maelos's order and Torim's meal. He was quickly dismissed with an amazingly large tip.

45 minutes later, the slide show was over. They were all silent, developing their thoughts.

"Okay," said Geros, leaning forward on the sofa, "Medici convinced the Council to go with this "Noble Nation", where they are, basically, going to kill everyone they don't like. Did I get that right?"

"There's a lot more to it Dad," said Maelos, "this Sharjak, he's a Space Pirate. Why would they work with the GF, even for a common evil?"

Samus sighed and said, "Sharjak leads a group of rogue pirates who broke off from the other Space Pirates just before I went on my last mission. They had disagreements, Sharjak and Ridley did, mostly on how galactic takeover could best be achieved. Sharjak's a little more diplomatic, so the Federation might have given him rights to a couple of planets or systems, or maybe membership in the Noble Nation. I'm not really sure, but I know Sharjak gave them Phazon."

"What is Phazon?" asked Maelos hesitantly.

"It's mutagen. I found it on Tallon IV over 8 years age. I was there by myself, no GF commands. Anyway, the Pirates were using it to create Phazon Elite Pirates and other weapons of mass destruction. I destroyed their base and closed off all the mine entrances," here she looked at Maelos, "but I didn't tell anyone because I feared the Feds would get it. And now they have."

"And they used it to make their weapon," stated Torim.

"I don't quite see how this all fits together," Geros said nervously.

"I know what Phazon can do," said Samus, "the way I see it, they've probably formulated a gas from it, and are going to use it to get rid of the people they don't want."

"But who do they want to get rid of?" asked Maelos.

"The poor, alien races they have prejudices against, political enemies, the list goes on," replied Samus, "they want to strip the galaxy and rebuild it to their liking, with them in complete control."

"But that's where I think the Council will get the bad end of the stick," said Torim, "I know Medici. If he gets that much power...he won't share it."

"You think he'll kill off the other Council Members and proclaim himself king?" asked Geros.

"If I know him at all, yes," answered Torim.

"But, again, what about Sharjak?" Maelos nearly shouted, "He's got to be more involved. The Federation could use other poisons. Why this Phazon?"

"It's a diversion," Sonilla said softly. She'd been quiet nearly the entire time, and everyone was surprised she'd spoken up.

"Don't you see? Medici will have Sharjak be the enemy. The Pirates will use the poison to exterminate parts of the galaxy because 'they've trying to take it over", but in reality they're carrying out Medici's genocide. He might even set up fake battles between the Pirates and his forces to make it more believable. And the curfews are so no one can be out and see differently. It's the perfect cover-up."

"Great," moaned Maelos, "we're looking at mass genocide within numerous planet systems with a new mutagen. Then, after that, the Noble Nation with Medici as a dictator and Space Pirates as members. And we," he thrust out his hands at the five of them, "are the only ones who know and can stop him. Can this get any worse?"

"It will get worse," said Torim negatively.

"How can we stop them?" Geros stood up and started to pace.

"What about the blueprint?" asked Sonilla. Samus looked at her. Again she was showing a high aptitude for scheming, _interesting._

"I can't tell what it is," said Samus as she brought it up on the screen. "It's not a weapon; it almost looks like a layout of somewhere, but I can't tell. I need more time with it."

"What do we do?" asked Torim desperately.

"We have enough evidence against the Council to demand an investigation," said Samus, "but I don't know how we could get it out. The next Unity Ball is all I can think of. If Maelos could get up there--"

"What?" exclaimed Geros, " and almost get killed again?"

"Dad, calm down," Maelos told his father. "But he has a point, Samus. Medici would be there, along with a bunch of GF troopers. He'd just tell them to point their guns at me and shoot if I didn't shut up. And I'm not too keen on the whole getting-shot-again-thing."

Samus walked over to the balcony entrance and stood, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I have an idea, but I'd need to pick up a couple of things," she said.

"What is it?" asked Torim.

"A couple years ago I was, ah, shopping for supplies, and I saw something we could use now. A wave EMP," said Samus.

"How will that help?" questioned Geros.

"It's an electromagnetic pulse, so it can disable their weapons," said Samus.

"But it'll also knock out the cameras and transmitters we'd need," said Torim.

"I wasn't finished," Samus said defensively. "This is a _wave_ EMP, very important note. It works within wave transmissions of any medium, and you can set it to the medium and frequency you want."

She walked back over and stood in front of them.

"The Federation's troopers all use weapons that have a centralized source of energy. They're all on the same frequency and use the same power. So, we set the wave EMP to that source and when we detonate it; it will knock out only the GF used equipment."

"Okay," Torim said carefully, "now we just have to get one."

"I can do that," Samus answered him.

"We have 2 days before the next Unity Ball Convention," said Maelos, "you do it in three days?"

"Yes," she replied confidently, a sliver of a smile appearing on her face.

"But how are we going to pull it off?" asked Sonilla, "if we're all at the ball, who will detonate the EMP?"

"Ha, good old Creto will do that, right," Maelos said mischievously as Geros sighed.

"Probably," replied Samus.

"But what if someone has a weapon not on the GF frequency?" asked Sonilla, who was now really into the discussion.

"Dearest," said Torim, "do we have to plan everything out right now?"

"Well..." Sonilla trailed off"we could."

"I don't think so," said Samus, "we need to see what happens tomorrow and then we can plan some more."

"I think it's time for us all to get sleeping arrangements, and then go to sleep," said Torim sleepily.

"I agree," yawned Geros.

"Alright," said Maelos, who couldn't help but yawn too. He stretched out on the couch, "we'll need some sleep if we're going to save the galaxy in 2 days."

_Wow, this was a long chapter, and I pretty much gave you the entire plan. Hopefully you believe it because if you don't, uh, the story won't be as real. So tell me if it was believeable, if it's not, tell me why and I might fix it._

_If all goes well, then the next chapter will be pretty low-action, and I'll focus on character development. This and chapter 6 are pretty much the "calm before the storm". Just settle in and relax while you can..._


	6. Preparations

_Alright, in this chapter I will be making a point on Samus's cultural deficiency and will be setting up Chapter 7._

Chapter 6: Preparations

"Wake up!" said Samus as she shook Maelos awake.

Maelos sat up, rubbed the sleep from his dark eyes, and peered around the room with a distant look. He had fallen asleep on the couch but, somehow, had ended up sprawled on the floor in a bundle of blankets.

"Morning," he said sheepishly as he realized where he was. He grinned and a small snicker escaped Samus's lips.

"Get dressed," she told him in mock reprimand.

Samus then preceded to wake everyone else. Geros was in the parlor with Maelos and was easily woken. Sonilla was in the master bedroom, breathing gently. Samus almost found it difficult to wake her up because she looked so peaceful._ Peace is something we will soon be without._

The sun was just turning the sky pink when she went into the second bedroom and couldn't find Torim. Momentary fear pricked her heart. She hadn't slept at all; she'd patrolled the suite soundlessly all night. Nothing could have slipped past her and taken him, so where could he be?

Then she saw him. He was outside on the balcony, dressed in a sleeping robe and holding a cup of hot coffee. She quickly opened the sliding glass door and went outside to him.

"Ah, Samus," he smiled. He took a sip and then pointed over the buildings to the horizon, "I love watching a sunrise. Wherever I am, I watch it because each sun is unique. Just look at the that!"

Samus followed his hand. Waves of magenta and gold flooded over the horizon and threatened to cascade over onto the waking city. The great luminous bulb that was the star Ecenta pierced the lingering night and overpowered it, casting away the blue and painting the entire sky a pale yellow. Ecenta was fully risen in the next 10 seconds.

"That has to be the quickest sunrise I have ever seen!" exclaimed Torim, "glad I was here, or I would have missed it."

"It was fast," admitted Samus, "but I must ask you to get dressed. We have work to do."

"Quite right," replied Torim. He took a final, very long, draught of his drink and then headed back inside.

Samus lingered out on the balcony for a moment more. The rapid sunrise engraved in her mind, like the sunset she had watched on Creto so many years ago..._but I have things to do, despite my want to stay here and recall the past._

She took out the transmitter and spoke into it.

"Good morning Creto, time to move."

"Good morning to you My Lady, and where, may I ask, am I moving?" replied the computer.

"Up to the balcony," said Samus with a smirk.

"You can't be serious Samus, not this early in the morning!" exclaimed Creto.

"Ha, you're a computer, Creto," answered Samus, " you can't be tired. I just need you to be close enough for them to board."

"Why?"

"Because I have to run some errands, and I can't take them with me, so you have to baby-sit," Samus told it.

"Oh dear," sighed Creto, if a computer can sigh

Once everyone was dressed and ready, Samus led them out on the balcony.

"Is this entirely necessary?" asked Geros after Samus had explained the arraignments to them.

"Mr. Torim here hired me to do a job: protect you," said Samus, reminding them of her profession, "and right now, this is the safest place for you."

"I agree," said Torim, "but I must tell you that boarding an invisible spaceship sounds, uh, difficult."

"It won't be," said Samus.

Suddenly the hiss of lowering air pressure filled the air. They stared out at the city skyline, and it was abruptly broken up by the inside of a ship. Sonilla gasped as the ramp reached the balcony railing.

"All aboard," Samus said and began to help them up. She helped Torim up last and then lifted herself up, the hatch closing behind her.

"Welcome," said Creto in a cheery, tour-guide-like voice. "I am Creto, internal computer for this Chozo huntership (class Beorgana 6231) that was made specifically for Samus Aran. If you need anything, just ask!"

"Oh my stars," Samus said under her breath.

"Wow," exclaimed Sonilla, her father's face echoing her excitement.

"Hi, Creto!" Maelos called to the ceiling, "nice to see you in one piece."

"Oh yes," said Creto, "we try to make that a habit here."

Samus headed to the back, leaving the others in the space between the cockpit and sleeping quarters.

Geros looked around hesitantly and said, "Creto, I just want to say that I'm not angry at you anymore, and that I'm sorry for the way I treated you before."

"Apology accepted," replied Creto, somewhat smugly.

"Did he just apologize to a computer?" whispered Sonilla to her father.

"I think so," answered a bewildered Torim.

"Okay," stated Samus as she reentered the room. "Creto, we need more seats--"

"Right on it--" Creto said quickly.

Large panels formed on the two walls leading to the cockpit. The panels quickly slid under one another and a set of seats folded out of them, complete with a back, headrest, and harness. There were a total of 12 seats.

Torim, Geros, Maelos, and Sonilla took the seats nearest Samus's and buckled up. Samus strapped herself in and then slowly propelled the cloaked ship through Vastial's air space.

After about 5 minutes of flying they reached the outskirts of the city. Samus settled the ship down on a secluded hill and unbuckled herself.

"Okay," she said, " I'm leaving to get our things. I'll be back in approximately 2 hours. Nobody leaves this ship and no one comes aboard until I get back. Creto, you know what to do."

Then she left then alone in the ship.

Once Samus was gone, the others started talking about the plan and told Creto everything they knew.

"Well, Samus has always completed every mission she's ever taken. I trust she will do the same," the computer said confidently.

"She has, but we haven't. I'm worried about one of us getting hurt," said Sonilla.

She liked Creto. The computer amused her to no end with its very proper manner and scientific answers. Creto had started a slide show of Samus's missions with the control panel's hologram, and it impressed Sonilla greatly.

Currently, Creto had conjured up the image of a Luminoth and was replicating its ability to manipulate light.

"You know," said Maelos as he can and stood next to Sonilla, "after Samus gave her report about Aether to the House, I tried to find some sort of file or contact to the Luminoth species, and I found none. They have never contacted us in any way. Strange for an "enlightened" race. You'd think they'd want to help us...and we could use it."

"Well, look what happened to the Chozo," Sonilla countered, "we let them be destroyed. I think their "enlightenment" is confirmed by the fact that they avoid us. If they have it good, why risk us damaging it?"

"Good point," admitted Maelos.

They both paused and looked at the hologram. Creto was making the Luminoth create little moths that revolved around a ball of light it held in its hand. It was quite cute.

Maelos opened his mouth to say something when his cell phone rang.

Maelos pulled the phone out of his pocket, ignoring the stares, and held it in his hand, letting it ring. Then he answered it.

"Hello?"

Everyone wondered who was calling him.

"Oh, hi Devajor!" laughed Maelos.

The tension fell and Maelos started talking to his good friend. When the call was over he turned to them and said-

"He wanted to visit me in the hospital, but he got tied up on Aret. He's here right now, heading downtown to get fitted for a new suit, since I got blood on his old one."

Here he rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.

"Anyway, he figured I need a new get-up too and he wants to meet me at 2."

"What did you tell him?" asked his father.

"That I might, depends on whether I can get free."

"Said like a true politician," smiled Torim. Maelos grinned too.

"We'll see what Samus says," Geros said.

The rest of their time under Creto's watchful "eye" was spent watching the slide show hologram, which was quite amusing because, while Creto was narrating, it kept switching between different accents and impersonations.

Roughly two hours later Samus arrived. She looked a little out of breath and her shirt was damp with sweat. There was also a small cut on her forehead. But no one, not even Creto asked what she'd done to get the wave EMP. They didn't really want to know.

After she'd gotten something to drink and changed her clothes, Maelos told her about Devajor.

"Well," she said between gulps of her bottled mineral water, "if we're going to the Ball, we'll have to look the part. I don't have a dress, so I at least have to go and get one. So I guess yeah. The only problem is that this," she held up the EMP. It was round and about the size a grapefruit, " has to be installed into the ship so Creto can detonate it."

"I can do it," volunteered Geros the mechanic.

"You don't need anything?" asked Samus.

"Nope, I brought some things from home," said Geros.

"I have all I need too," said Torim, "so Geros and I can stay here with Creto."

"Alright," Samus gave in. "It's almost noon. Let's get back to the hotel and get ready."

After a brief difficulty in getting off the invisible ship and back on the balcony, Samus, Maelos, and Sonilla were leaving the hotel and waiting for a taxi to take them to the Vastial courtyard.

The courtyard in question was at the heart of Vastial, a one mile wide circle made of clean white stone. It echoed of renaissance, a peaceful sanctuary from the modern world. And it seemed everyone liked it that way because there were no vehicles of any kind, merely dozens of different species walking in the pursuit of relaxation or a good sale.

In the center of the courtyard, hidden by the swirling crowd, was an ancient fountain. Statues of human goddesses and alien lords were craved of the same white stone and shot gentle streams of water from their mouths. Hundreds of flying creatures were gathered by the water, looking for scraps of food. There were flying reptilians, daylight bats, and even Old Earth pigeons, which were speckled purple and brown.

Maelos saw Devajor sitting on the fountain's edge, his dark skin contrasting sharply with the white linen shirt he was wearing. The two friends met in an exchange of smiles and back patting. Devajor was so happy to see Maelos alive, he kept looking him up and down, as if trying to find the bullet hole.

Samus and Sonilla came over and Maelos introduced them as Sonilla Torim and Aideen Bridgid.

"So nice to meet you!" said Devajor as he shook hands with the two women. Then, whispering just loud enough so they could hear him, he said, "Maelos, where did you find two such stunningly beautiful ladies? You need to rub off some of that luck on me!"

Sonilla giggled and Samus looked at the sky, shaking her head, as Devajor laughed at their reactions.

"You have a girlfriend, remember Dev?" Maelos jested.

"Oh," said Devajor, striking a face of surprise, "too bad for me."

Sonilla giggled some more and Samus studied the dark-skinned man.

_He's certainly good humored, goodness knows I need some now. Charming, and strong, _she thought as he noted his solid frame, _I can see why Maelos likes him_.

"Come on," Devajor said, "I know the perfect place to go."

They followed Devajor through the crowd to the outside of the courtyard where it was lined with high-end shops and boutiques. Samus walked behind them, making notes of the beings around them and exits.

They entered a medium-sized shop and were immediately welcomed into an open room that was full with linens and clothes. A counter was to their right and a wide staircase directly in front of them led up to another floor.

"Welcome, welcome," came a voice from the counter, and Maelos's eyes widened as a very tall creature approached them.

The sentinel that approached towered over them and was clothed in a thick, draping robe that had many tassels. It had a small head, shaped like a giraffe's, that sat upon a long flexible neck, and it had four arms, two of which were carrying a clipboard and tape measure. Slightly hunched over and with inverted knees, it walked over to them with a slow, deliberate pause at each step.

"I am Doxin, a Gieraf of the tailoring act," it said in the same slow manner as its walk. "It seems the honorable Mr. Misba has recommended my services, and...oh my!"

Doxin had noticed Sonilla, who looked very pleased.

"Lady Torim has come as well? This is very special indeed."

"You come here?" asked Devajor of Sonilla.

"Yes, all the time. Doxin does a wonderful job."

The Gieraf blushed.

They quickly told Doxin that they needed proper attire for the Unity Ball, which was tomorrow. The Gieraf then led the four humans over to selection of formal wear.

"Because of the time," Doxin said, "I won't be able to make four brand new outfits, but I can tailor ones that is already made to fit you."

So, they spilt up, Maelos and Devajor going to the suits and tuxes, as Sonilla went to a rack of flowing gowns. Samus stood, rooted to the spot. _Me, select my own dress? I've never so much as owned a skirt!_

"Do you require assistance, Miss Bridgid?" asked one of Doxin's assistants.

"Uh..." replied an unsure Samus.

"I'll help you," said Sonilla quietly as she came over.

Sonilla may not have known about beam weapons or metroids, but the pampered Chairman's daughter knew about fashion.

And in truth, Sonilla was still frightened of Samus, but being in her element gave her some confidence. Plus, her woman's sense of distress was kicking in. How could she just leave Samus there? It was obvious the Hunter knew nothing of these matters, and Sonilla was far too kind to abandon her. She'd sent the night in close quarters with Samus, and it was also obvious that the bounty hunter was not insane or overly aggressive, not to those that paid her anyway.

So, the next few hours were spent trying on clothes. The men and woman meeting at the shop's central stage/mirror to model for one another. Doxin and his assistants stood near-by, watching carefully and interjecting advice or critiques.

It took a while before Samus could say she wasn't bored out of her mind. There was more to clothing then she'd realized. _But none of these is as nice as the robes Veruk made for me, _she thought, in reference to the Chozo tailor.

And despite her seeming frailty, Sonilla was very helpful and kind. She steered Samus through the maze of dresses and helped her choose the right size and style, and Samus was very thankful because she didn't have the slightest clue what she was doing.

"You look very sharp," Devajor was telling Maelos as Doxin held them both, measuring and pinning their new tuxes.

They both looked up just in time to see Sonilla exit the changing room and step up on the low stage.

She wore a one-strapped gold dress that flew to her ankles. The swirling patterns of light green beads on the dress glimmered as she observed herself in the mirror. As she turned, they saw that the dress had a low back and the flowing skirt was made of thousands of wispy light layers that gave the illusion of something innocent and wholesome.

"Wow," said Maelos and Devajor in unison.

"That is a good dress for you, Lady," commented Doxin as he stopped pinning them to look. "Your mother would be so proud."

"Yes, I know." she said softly. Then, in a louder voice, she called, "well...come on Aideen! I came out first! It's your turn."

A frown formed on Maelos's face, but it was replaced with a grin as Samus entered the room.

Samus came out, shy at first, but then her natural confidence took over and she strolled over to mirror. Her dress was a classic black halter-top style that went to her knees. The bottom portion was made of a sheer black slip over a sparkling silver-blue skirt so that when she moved she looked like sparkling water.

Devajor and Maelos just stared at her, and then at both of the them as Sonilla came and stood next to Samus.

"What do you think?" asked Sonilla shyly.

"You're gorgeous," answered Maelos.

Then the quartet gathered up on the stage and Doxin studied them closely. They were like seniors being dressed for prom.

"Yes, yes. You are a very handsome group. I will make the adjustments for the ladies, then, Sonilla, your father can come for them tomorrow like you said."

They left Doxin's shop a few minutes later. The sun was beginning its descent and bathed the courtyard in a faint orange glow.

For a reason Samus couldn't explain, she felt disheartened as they exited Doxin's shop. A sudden weight had fallen on her, a shadow. Maybe it was because they had the EMP and attire for the Ball; the fact that they were actually going to do this. Once again she was throwing herself into danger's path, _but that's my life. Isn't it?_

She looked around as Devajor led them outside of the courtyard and to his vehicle.

By the fountain was a man dressed in ragged, outdated clothes. The beggar was carrying a bag and plunging his hand into the fountain's water. As he pulled out a handful of coins, a smile spread across his face, but, suddenly, he was lost from Samus's view by the crowd..

They continued on, Samus thinking about the people they would save if they succeeded. _The poor, the needy; the lonely and misused. _Were they worth it? _the Chozo would say so._

They were almost outside the courtyard. The last structure on its outer ring that they would pass was a giant cathedral. Dominating the nearby landscape, it had a single spiraling tower that reached towards the heavens. A long stretch of stairs led up to the wooden doors. They were open, and Samus looked in.

She could see the great open space where thousands of beings had gathered. Their heads were bent, and they muttered in a strange tongue. There was no light inside the cathedral, only a light blue smoke that flowed like a foul spirit around them.

Suddenly they started to chant, and the great doors were closed with a loud smash. An insignia was on them, one of a single flower with an eye peering from behind it. It would have been an ambiguous enough symbol if the flower hadn't been withered and the eye hadn't been narrowed in disapproval.

Samus didn't know much about the galaxy's different religions, but this one seemed very dark and ominous.

Then the cathedral bells started to ring. The flying creatures of the courtyard took flight at the sudden noise and created an uproar from the passers-by. The bells rang in strange intervals, creating an eerie and mystic song.

"Trust me," said Maelos, "you don't want to go in there."

He touched Samus's arm and she came back to reality to find she had stopped walking and was staring at the insignia.

"Right," she said, shaking herself awake, "let's go."

Midnight rolled around to find Maelos and Sonilla sitting together by the TV. They had been delighted to find that they both enjoyed a certain late-night comedy show and were watching it together.

Samus sat on a stool near the kitchen's bar at the other end of the hotel suite, studying the mysterious blueprint. Geros and Torim had both gone to sleep.

A commercial came on and Maelos asked Sonilla if she was frightened about tomorrow.

"No, not really," she replied, "I mean, ha, we have Samus. Right?"

They both peered over the couch to see if Samus had noticed, but she showed no hint of noticing.

"Yeah," said Maelos. He let the conversation slip into quiet; the ad in the background was about alien pet food.

"Sonilla?"

"Yes."

"In the shop today, uh, what Doxin said...I mean you don't have to answer, but what did he mean by 'your mother would be so proud'?" Maelos said it as carefully, as possible because it was a touchy question, and not one he would normally ask, but he had a growing suspicion.

"Oh," Sonilla said, surprised. "Well, there's no easy way to say it, but he meant what he said. I never met my mother. She died giving birth to me."

She spoke quietly, barely audible over the TV. Maelos leaned close to hear and then looked her in the eyes, his fears confirmed.

"I'm sorry. My mom is gone too. She passed away almost 11 years ago."

He sank back into the couch and picked up the remote control, "I just, well, I wanted to know because I've been there too. And, if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here."

He said it with genuine care, and she could tell he meant it. Her face formed into a gentle, tacit thank you.

The comedy came back on, and, although the host was making ridiculous gestures and making fun of someone important, neither of them laughed with genuine feeling.

Behind them, Samus twirled the pencil she was using to make notes on the printout laid before her. She'd heard every word.

Meanwhile...

"Are we ready?" snarled the Space Pirate impatiently. He downed his glass of flaming toxin and then crushed the empty glass in his spiny hand.

"My troops have been ready for a week now. Why is this taking so long?"

"Patience, my friend. We are ready," answered the addressed human calmly, "take your fleet and 20 GF divisions to Yurin. It begins tonight."

"Good," replied the pirate. He rose, his many scales and spikes raking the chair he had sat in. Without another word, he was gone.


	7. Fear and Revelation

_This chapter was going to include the actual Unity Ball, but it just got way too long. So, I've split this part of the story into two chapters. This way I can include all the detail I want, and make sure everything is given the proper attention. Plus it's easier to write, read, and review._

_Here you go..._

Chapter 7: Fear and Revelation

Samus and Torim stood out on the balcony watching the sunrise. Like the previous morning it cascaded over onto the city before them and washed them in light, but today, nothing was to be light-like.

Samus stepped back into the hotel and was greeted by the harsh sounds of reporters and turbulence from the TV.

Everyone was gathered around it, watching the female reporter look out the window of a GF transport unit at the destruction below.

"...as you can see, everything has been destroyed. Where the Province of Greater Yitrun once stood, there is now only rubble and radiation...the death toll is staggering, and rising. As of now it is..."

Samus tuned it out. She wouldn't hear the statistics again. She didn't want to hear that nearly the entire population of a billion people had been wiped out in a single night. She didn't want to face the reality of all that death. It was too real to her; it was too much.

And she was used to death. She was familiar with the threat of it and of dealing it out. But before it had been metroids and pirates, evils that prowled in the dark and had nameless faces. They had been losses she could take without second-guessing herself, but now the numbers were humans and other civil sentinels; they were innocents; they were dead...

"...somehow a Federation outpost camera survived the blasts and we have recovered this footage."

On the screen, the woman disappeared, and suddenly they were miles above the ground watching the Space Pirates attack.

Waves of transports flew overhead and dropped hundreds of bombs that ruptured the ground. Vague and muffled explosions and screams could be heard. Suddenly, the dark of the night was made darker as the largest of the transports passed by and released a single, small item. It fell, the camera moving to chart its course.

When it hit the ground, a flash of white light blocked out everything. The visuals returned, and they could see the impact site caving in, sucking in near-by buildings.

Then the actual explosion.

A wave of fast moving blue radiation came racing towards then. It incinerated everything it touched. Moving faster, it met the building where the camera was perched. The camera stood a second longer, and then flew, the screen of vision diving down. The ground, covered in shining blue, stopped the camera.

And then static.

"That's enough," said Torim, who had just stepped inside. He picked up the remote and turned the TV off. "We can't watch this anymore."

Samus looked at them and knew he was right. Geros sat on the couch, staring off into space as Maelos clenched his teeth and fists in anger. Sonilla was in the greatest distress as she was near tears.

"Get dressed and we'll go get some breakfast," he commanded firmly.

They obediently rose and went to get ready.

As they left, Samus thought about Yitrun. It was the perfect place to attack.

Yitrun was one of the most densely populated planets in the galaxy, and the Province of Greater Yitrun was its most populated. Greater Yitrun could easily have been called the galaxy's largest slum. Lying in the shadows of empty buildings, the homeless covered the streets of the abandoned industrial capital.

Samus, with her killer's eye, could easily see why Medici would attack it first.

He was creating fear. Frightened by the threat of death, the Federation would turn to the Council and give it more power. The people would put more of their precious trust into the least trustworthy. _He's smart._

She cursed him quietly under her breath and then led everyone downstairs.

Breakfast was quiet and moody. Aggressively stabbing every morsel on his plate, Maelos displayed his rage. Geros tried to start a conversation with him about the newest Mx7000 intake valve, but a glare from his son silenced him. Sonilla barely ate anything, just played with her food and stared at the near-by tables.

"I'll be in the room," said Torim when he'd finished. He stood, placed his napkin on his plate, and walked away.

"I'm coming with you," said Sonilla with a sigh, as she too stood and left.

"Please talk to him," Geros quietly said to Samus as he went with them.

And then, Samus found herself alone with Maelos, who showed no sign of caring that everyone was gone and continued to stab his food.

She watched him for a minute or so, giving him time to say something, but he said nothing. She had never seen him so upset; in fact, hadn't thought him capable of such cold rage.

_I must have been like this, _she thought, the remembrance of her past rages and rants filling her mind. But, when she had been like this, who had comforted her? Had anyone been there for her? No one had.

But Maelos had opened up her cold heart many years ago. He had been there for her, without even knowing it. Now she had to return that grace,_ but how_?

"Samus?" Maelos asked before she could start.

"Yes?" she looked at him, glad he'd said the first word.

"Do we even stand a chance?" asked the Ambassador. He spoke in a sad, defeated voice not at all like his own.

His anger had subdued and now she could see that Yitrun's destruction had really driven home the importance of their mission, of how easily it might fail and what would happen if they did fail. He had worked so hard to rebuild Nebulon and help the galaxy's needy. Now everything he had worked for and cared about was standing on the edge of destruction, and he was alone, straining to keep it from falling.

Samus didn't answer at first. She had to chose her words carefully, and, while being extremely confident in many things, she didn't trust herself to say the right thing here.

"I don't want to put you on the spot," said Maelos, "it's just, well, I feel kind of hopeless."

"Hey," she got upand motioned for him to come with her, "I've been through things that looked just as hopeless as this situation, but I never gave up, and I'm not going to start today. We will defeat this."

Maelos looked up at her. The light caught her profile just right and accented her keen blue eyes. An aura of strength and knowledge came from her. She was so confident, her voice and eyes conveying a certainty he'd never seen in anyone else before. And so, feeling calmed and protected, he followed her.

The Unity Ball was to be held on the Puideya Space Station, which orbited around the fifth moon of Aret. It was a minimum of 3 hours flight from Burxig, and they had to be there at 6 p.m. polarian time to get Torim ready for his introductory speech.

Because of this, as soon as Samus and Maelos entered room 1135, they immediately began to get ready for the Ball. Torim had gone to pick up their purchases from Doxin.

When he had left, Sonilla, still silent with shock, had retreated to her room and started to fix her hair. Samus went to her room, partially to get advice for her own hair, and secondly to calm her like she had Maelos.

_Strange that I now find myself the comforter, _Samus reflected. Entering the room, she glanced around and saw Sonilla in the corner, staring blankly at the wall.

She held a curling iron in her hand, the blinking light indicating that it was on. Samus approached her, but Sonilla didn't notice.

"Sonilla?" Samus asked quietly.

"Ah!" yelped Sonilla. She hurriedly jumped up and then grabbed at the iron as it flew off her lap. This action burnt her hand, and she swore at the hot iron. Waving her burnt hand, she placed the curling iron on the desk and turned to Samus with an embarrassed look.

"I'll get you something," said Samus.

She returned with some ice and gave it to the grateful Sonilla.

"We should be getting ready," she told Sonilla, "or your father will be late."

"We?" questioned Sonilla timidly.

"Ha," snorted Samus, "you didn't think I would do my own hair and makeup did you? I've never touched the stuff in my life, and you're lucky I'm going to let you put it on me."

"You want me to do all that for you?" asked Sonilla, realizing that Samus wanted her to help.

"Well, yeah."

"Okay, let's get started," Sonilla said.

Giving her something to do obviously helped Sonilla take her mind off of the destruction of Yitrun, and that's exactly what Samus had wanted. The calmer they are, the better for this mission. _Plus, I really can't do any of this_...

"...normally I go to a salon for this type of thing," Sonilla was telling Samus as she finished with the Hunter's hair, "but given the circumstances, well... I can do a decent enough job."

They had both changed into their dresses. Sonilla's hair was put up in a delicate up-do that echoed her sweet and youthful dress. For Samus, Sonilla had selected to curl her hair in loose curls and pin half of it up to give the tomboy a softer and more feminine look.

Samus couldn't deny that she liked the face looking back at her, but at the same time it was a foreign face; a looking-glass that showed a life she could have had if K-2L hadn't been destroyed. _'But such things are not to be dwelt on', _the Chozo ideal filled her head.

Using a large and ticklish brush, Sonilla leaned forward and touched up the blush on Samus's cheeks. As she did, Samus noticed for the first time the thin band on her right hand's ring finger. It was silver, displaying a crowned heart made of a light purple gem held by a pair of hands.

"What's this?" Samus asked as she gently grabbed Sonilla's hand. "Are you married or something?"

"Oh, no," replied Sonilla, who had drawn back her hand.

"Well, what then?" Samus demanded.

"I..." Sonilla paused and looked at Samus, who raised an eyebrow that meant 'go on'.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly what it is," Sonilla admitted, "it's origin was lost ages ago, but it's essentially a symbol of love. See…when the crown is put towards the wearer, it symbolizes that that person is free of commitment. Turned out, it means you're "with" someone. On the left hand means marriage."

Samus noticed that Sonilla wore it on her right hand, crown pointed to herself.

"So you're telling the world that you're single?" concluded Samus.

"Kinda," said Sonilla quickly, "it's more of a reminder to myself. A reminder that I'm waiting for someone, and that I need to keep myself for that one man. I just have to find him."

She ended and looked at Samus, her gentle face smiling meekly. Samus looked away, thinking.

_I agree that the galaxy is certainly a place of floating morals. Finding something solid is definitely a thing to strive for..._

But she had never had relations of any kind with a man, so was she to judge?_ It isn't at all a bad thing to have a promise to yourself, one that could keep you on a certain path_, she thought. But then again, she had never before pondered on the rights/wrongs of monogamy and polygamy.

_The Chozo were monogamous_, her inner voice said. _It can't be a bad thing then_.

Samus sighed and gave up the contemplation, _another time maybe_.

Choosing not to comment, she said to the waiting girl, "come on, we need to leave."

They left the room and found the men waiting for them by the balcony. All three of them looked very fine and handsome, but the appearance of the spectacular ladies humbled them greatly.

Torim smiled at his daughter and blushed when she kissed him on the cheek.

"You look lovely," he whispered to her.

"Well," said Geros loudly, "let's see the couple."

He took Maelos by the his tux jacket and thrust him towards Samus.

Straightening himself, Maelos stood next to Samus. He was wearing a handsome black tux with a silver-blue bow and vest that nicely matched Samus's gown.

For Maelos's protection, Samus was to be his escort for the night. And while Samus felt awkward being so close to a man, she knew it was the best action.

"You may want to be, ah, closer," said Torim delicately.

Maelos quickly placed his arm around Samus's waist and Samus allowed herself to be pulled closer to him. And while the others were studying their clothes and stance, Samus and Maelos met eyes.

There was no spark of romance or lust between them, but it was something just as important. What flashed between their eyes was the same understanding they had come to 8 years ago. They were friends. Both willing to sacrifice themselves for the other, but not sharing in a sensual love.

And with that confirmation made, Samus and Maelos both relaxed.

"Now, you look good," said Torim. "You look believable."

"I agree," chimed Sonilla, and Geros nodded his agreement.

Torim suddenly frowned and asked Samus, "the Federation doesn't know what you look like, do they?"

"Way ahead of you," said Samus as she led them out on the balcony and helped them to board the still invisible ship.

"I allowed them no photographs when I took their missions, but for bounties you have to have an iris scan for identification and payment.. There's only one being in the galaxy who has that scan, and it's my agent back at the bounty office in Coirya."

"It's safe? From Medici?" questioned Torim.

"Yes," replied Samus.

"Alright," said Torim, trusting her word, "we'd better start."

He and Sonilla, with Samus's help, lifted themselves up and into the ship.

Samus turned back and saw Geros and his son still standing in the hotel room. She could see them talking but couldn't make out the words over the general noise of the outside balcony.

"...I'm fine Dad," Maelos told Geros.

"Good," said Geros with a sigh. He pulled himself up and adjusted his cuff-links.

"Is that...?" asked Maelos, his face dawning a look of understanding and near horror.

"Yes," answered Geros slowly. He swallowed hard and blinked his eyes rapidly.

He had almost hoped Maelos wouldn't ask about the white suit he was wearing, but now he was glad his son had asked.

It was the same suit he had on wore on his wedding day, that happy day so many lifetimes ago, or so it felt. He had stared at it for hours as he was packing to come to his injured son some days before. Then he'd tried it on and had been amazed that it still fit.

And standing there together, father and son knew and realized that it was the final chain being broken. Geros wearing that suit really finalized that he was letting go. They were both finally letting go of their beloved wife and mother, and for some odd reason, it felt so appropriate to do it now.

"Hey! Let's go!" came Samus's sharp call.

They came to her and as Maelos boarded, Geros held back.

"Thank you for talking to him," he said. He reached out to grasp her shoulder, thought better of it, and then merely said, "please take care of my son. I love him, and I know you're the only one who can protect him."

Samus was touched by the desperation in his voice. Twice today he had asked something of her, and not for himself but for his son. She reached out and took his arm.

"I will," she said, all the determination in the galaxy rang out in those two simple words.

"You are all very beautiful, especially you, My Lady," said Creto as the hatch closed and Samus buckled up.

"I'm flattered," replied Samus in a monotone.

Once they had exited the planet's atmosphere, she turned off the cloaking device and pressed the button beside it. The cockpit hummed lightly and then everything seemed to ripple. The walls swayed slightly, and they could feel themselves shift.

"What was that?" asked Torim.

"I have just disguised the ship as a dark blue Reco 620, and I'm changing our broadcasting codes so they won't know it's me. They'll think we're your newest rental, complete with driver and posse."

"Sounds good," remarked Torim.

Puideya Space Station came into view some 4 hours later. It was a massive sphere that was made of hundreds of millions of reflective octagon pieces. The light of Aret's sun bounced off of it and made it look like a diamond floating in space, a jewel lost to the rest of the galaxy.

Samus slowed the ship and was granted access to dock M-092. She navigated the traffic and then landed on the dock, which promptly sealed them in a glass case filled with oxygen.

"Everyone ready?" asked Torim.

The group gave forth a weak round of 'sure'; Samus remained silent.

"You will do fine," said Creto happily, as they disembarked, "you have my confidence and wish of the best luck."

"Thank you," replied Samus, who was last out, with genuine affection.

Creto had been with her forever. Since being forced to leave the planet of the same name, her ship's internal computer had been the only constant in her life. Creto was a loyal servant, and friend, who had assisted her so many times before, and even saved her life.

As she and the others entered the station's entrance tunnel, Samus realized that she would always be grateful to Creto, no matter what happened.


	8. The Destruction of Innocence

Thank you for being so patient for this chapter. It is the catalyst chapter so I worked very hard on it and would appreciate a response in the form of reviews.

_A huge thank you to MakoAnima for beta-reading!_

Chapter 8: The Destruction of Innocence

Dock M-092 was one of a hundred docks located on platform M. Incased in oxygen, Torim and his posse made their way to tunnel M. They had arrived earlier then most and walked towards the it alone.

Congested at the tunnel's entrance and lining its sides, thousands of news-crews lay in wait. Upon seeing the approaching Chairman and Ambassador, they sprang into action. They stranded at the laser fence restraints and pleaded with the many security guards for a closer look.

They were all around Torim, screaming their questions and snapping photos. The lights were blinding as Torim continued to lead his group, his arm neatly tucked around Sonilla the entire time.

Out of nowhere, a camera man shot over the fence and slipped past a pair of guards. He came flying at Maelos, his camera flashing.

Samus had placed herself between Maelos and the tunnel's wall. The photographer was, unluckily for him, oblivious to her until she subtly shoved him from behind and sent him sprawling to the floor. His camera shattered and several of his peers laughed as the guards came and took him away.

Finally, they neared the tunnel's end. They could see the warm white glow of Puideya's topmost chamber; a gate barred the way.

Where the paparatsie's excess ended, the sea of reporters redoubled their efforts to get a word from Torim or Maelos. The security also doubled their efforts to keep them at bay.

Without a word, Torim stopped and extended his arms. The entire tunnel's worth of news-people stopped their shouting and pointed their microphones at him, hoping to better the sound quality.

Samus, and all the others, quietly gapped at Torim. How could one man silence an entire mob like this? The only sound to be heard was the clicking of cameras and a single cough from the back.

"I am very pleased at this Ball's outcome. Hopefully, we can solve a number of problems tonight. I speak for all the Council now as I welcome you," he projected his voice so all could hear.

He turned to lead them on when a near-by reporter asked loudly, "and what of Ambassador Tebral?"

"Ambassador Tebral will make all of his opinions known later tonight, as he will be giving speech," Torim addressed them.

He said no more and motioned for Maelos and company to follow. The news crews let them go and quickly turned back to the tunnel's beginning. They soon became occupied with a representative who had recently been exposed as an addicted gambler with million of credits in debt.

At the gate, Torim and his group were stopped by a quartet of very official looking humans and asked to verify their invitations.

"Joseph Torim, with Sonilla Torim," answered the Chairman.

"Maelos Tebral with my father, Geros Tebral, and friend, Aideen Bridgit," Maelos said casually. He'd been through this many a time.

"Very good," answered the quartet's leader, "you may proceed. Please follow your official guide, who will take you to your table."

A woman in a white suit stepped out of an unseen door and opened the gate for them. Then she walked out and started to lead them to their table.

To the echo of a million voices they entered the convention. Puideya's gathering hall was a vast open dome with thousands of sparkling lamps lining the rounded walls. Hundreds of thousands of circular tables stretched out to the room's end, each one clothed in white linen and set for dining. A marble dance-floor in the center of the room was home to a large ensemble of string musicians that were tuning their instruments and preparing to play. Next to the ensemble was a circular podium that stood many feet above everything else. There were also several regiments of troopers stationed along the walls.

Geros looked up and was astounded at what he saw.

The hall they were in was the topmost level of Puideya Station, and hundreds of feet above them, the domed ceiling stood. It was made of glass and granted the looker visual access to the darkness of space. The stars sparkled outside, tiny white dots in a mess of black.

_Wow_, thought the mechanic as he marveled at the architecture. He suddenly felt very small and insignificant.

"Father, come on!" exclaimed Maelos as he pulled on Geros's arm.

Geros came back to reality and he and his son rushed to catch the others.

"You will be seated here tonight, Chairman," said the official. They were placed in the middle of the grand hall, right next to the dance floor and roughly 50 feet form the speaker's podium.

On the other side of the marble floor was seated the Council. Maelos also noted that every table around the Council's table was part of the Zenian Party. In fact, he realized, that entire side of the hall of occupied by the House's majority party, the Zenian.

"If you need anything, we are at your service," finished the official with an elegant bow.

"Well," said Maelos as he collapsed in his seat, "I was expecting reporters and cameras, mobs of people, but…" he shrugged.

"That was...different," commented Geros.

Sonilla snickered and turned to Samus, "he'll feel that later," she said in reference to Samus's shove.

Samus just grinned in reply.

All around them, other representatives and Ambassadors were being seated. Several times Maelos and Torim had to rise and greet their peers, every time having to speak about Yitrun.

"Enough," muttered Maelos as a representative of Myrino left them.

"May I introduce the Ambassador of Aret, Devajor Misba," came a voice from behind them. They turned and saw an official escorting Devajor to them, "he has requested to be seated with you tonight."

"He is more then welcome to join us," answered Torim.

"Hello," said Devajor as the official left. His normally smiling face was contrite. He gave off a feeling of sad mellowness.

"Hi," answered Maelos," where's Anne?"

"She's working," sighed Dev as he sat down in an empty seat. He then explained, "Anne works as a manager and consultant for one of the GF's food supply divisions. They've got her doing everything- setting up deliveries and rations for troops. It's crazy!"

"They're seriously going to fight?" asked Sonilla.

"Oh course..." Devajor's answer came as a deep sigh.

He was so tired of fighting, so tired of all this. All his years of study just to be forced into a corrupt government and have his ideals ridiculed and shot-down. He had worked so hard for good, and now everything he valued was being destroyed in just a couple of days by something he had no power over.

The conversation lulled into an uneasy quiet. Then Torim rose, and across the room, so did the Council.

"It's time for the opening speech," he said and headed to the podium.

"Good luck," Devajor wished him.

"Yes," said Maelos, "good luck."

Samus looked at him and nodded.

"You'll do great," said Sonilla with confidence to her father.

Torim headed to the podium and was met there by the Council. A hush fell on the crowd and the lights dimmed as Torim stepped onto the podium. It closed around him so that just his torso was visible. Then it rose on silent gears and slides. Revolving slowly, everyone had good view of the Chairman as he started to speak.

"Good evening to everyone! As you all undoubtedly know, today has been a painful day for many. And it is strange that it should happen on this day, when we are here to better society by confronting the evil around us..." Torim was saying.

"Aideen!" whispered Maelos.

Samus averted her eyes from Torim and looked at Maelos, who was on her left.

"We have to dance," he whispered.

Samus raised an eyebrow. _What's this about dancing?_

"...and now, all serious matters of this sort shall be put aside for later. Right now, let us be joyful for what we do have. Let the Ambassadors come forward for the traditional Marcanum, and let dinner be served!" Torim's voice echoed in the round hall.

"Now?" she questioned above the noise of the clapping convention.

"Yes, come on!" shouted Maelos.

All around them, Ambassadors were taking the floor. Back at the tables, servers were arriving with four-star dinners and wines. But even with all the movement and activity, Samus could feel the weight of thousands of eyes on her.

The Ambassadors and their escorts formed a rough block of stationary pairs. They stood at the ready, arms around waists and shoulders and hands clasped. The ensemble also stood at the ready, bows just above the strings of their instruments. It was as if the center of the room had been paused while the rest of it was still on play.

"Maelos," Samus whispered as the waited, "I can't dance."

"Just follow me," replied Maelos as they began.

The conductor raised his baton and with a simple stroke started the dance. The music was stiff and old, an ancient ballad from a lost era.

"They may look good," said Geros, "but Samus needs some dance lessons."

He and Torim were standing up and watching the couples. Indeed, Samus could have profited from some lessons. She moved gamely on, but there was no disguising that she was a novice dancer. She kept stepping on Maelos's feet as he blazed their trail. Each time she did, he would try not to grimace and she would try to anticipate the next turn. They missed nearly every cue for a turn or dip, being late every time.

When it finally ended, Maelos hurriedly dropped his hands from Samus's and looked around while trying to stifle nervous laughter. Samus looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor.

"Well, they tried," commented Devajor as he stood up. "I'm going to the bar. I'll be back."

"I feel sorry for Dev," Sonilla watched him go, "he's really distressed."

"We'll fix it soon enough," replied Geros.

"Who is that?" asked Gavin Medici.

"I don't know, sir, but she's fine," whistled the man next to him.

"Find out who it is, would you please?" Medici commanded; it wasn't a question.

"Yes, sir."

Samus stood at the corner of the dance floor nearest her own table. Her feet were hurting already from her heels, but she ignored them. She had a good view of their table and the Council's table, as well as the dance floor and bar. Poor Devajor sat at the said bar, mournfully staring at his glass of whisky.

She had no time to be sorry for him, though, as she was feeling sorry for herself. What had Torim and Maelos thought? That they would just _not _tell her about the Marcanum? There was no hiding her dismal performance, and no way to make it up to Maelos. He was a good man, and a good dancer. For once, she had been the inept one. _What were they thinking! _she thought.

Out of the corner of her right eye, she caught sight of a man approaching her. She'd seen his type before--lustful and unable to take 'no' for an answer. _They'll never learn. _She would have loved to have taken her anger out on him, but this was no place for a scene like that; she would have to be inconspicuous.

"A woman like you should be dancing, not standing alone," said the man in a suggestive voice once he reached her.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied and turned her back on him.

"Please?" laughed the man as he grabbed her hips and tried to turn her around.

"No," she said in a dangerously low voice.

This man couldn't be swayed though; his breath smelled of alcohol.

He made another, closer advance and Samus met him halfway. She turned around and grasped his hands. She began to led him to an empty seat. At the same time, she started to crush his hands and tears began to form in his eyes At the table was a human, some sentinel she didn't recognize, and a Gieraf.

The man started to cry out in protest, his shouts making the table's occupants start in surprise. The tears in his eyes spilled over as Samus squeezed harder and broke several bones in his hands.

"Ha, I told him not to drink so much, but he just didn't listen," Samus told them as she set the man in the chair and released his hands from her iron grip. He immediately buckled over in pain, moaning because of what Samus had done. To the three sentinels, he looked for the world like a crying drunk.

"Could you watch him while I get him some coffee?" she asked them sweetly, her eyes full of concern.

They nodded.

"I'll be right back, dear," she said and patted the broken man on the head, then she walked to another one of her appointed observation posts.

He watched her go, his mind clouded by pain. After several deep breaths, he wiped his eyes with the inside of his arm. Courteously thanking the staring table, he got up and then painfully made his way back to Medici.

"Huh," Medici mused, "a stranger arrives with Tebral and Torim…we don't know her name, she's never danced the Marcanum, and she easily bested one of my better men..."

"I'd check her iris scan," said the woman at his right, "the reporters must have gotten a picture if she was with Tebral."

Medici turned to her and grinned mischievously.

"What would I do without you? You're so smart," Medici said in a mock baby voice before he began to passionately kiss her.

"Are you ready, Maelos"?" asked Torim when he arrived back at the table.

Maelos nodded in answer. He was more nervous then the night he had been shot.

"Well, you've got half an hour to get ready…Geros, we'd better get Devajor before he drowns himself."

"Alright," Geros obliged.

Both widowers left their children and went to get Devajor.

Maelos watched the dancers on the floor before them. Suddenly, he was aware that it was just him and Sonilla at the table now. It was getting hotter.

He turned to her, but just as he did, the ensemble stopped playing and the floor applauded for them. He gave them one exasperated glance and then turned back to his drink.

"Maelos?" asked a sweet voice. Sonilla stood in front of him, "would you like to dance with me?"

Surprise took Maelos first as the ensemble raised their bows and started again, this time with a quick waltz. Then he nodded and followed her.

Finding an open space amid the rotating dancers, Sonilla stopped and waited for Maelos to place his hands on her.

He took her right hand in his and placed his left on her waist. Her dress was soft under his palms, and he could feel the heat of her body through the light material of her dress.

She followed suit and put her free arm on his left shoulder.

"Ah," he winced audibly.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied reassuringly, "it's still a little tender, but I'm okay. Go ahead."

She tried again, very gently this time, and before she could say another word, Maelos started to dance.

The pace he set was brisk to say the least, but Sonilla was a good dancer too and was game for the speed.

The song they danced to was a sweeping waltz with a strong legato melody. It swayed back and forth like an ocean tide, and the two of them personified that feeling as Maelos led her expertly around the dance floor. Sonilla was such a relief for him after Samus's clumsy step.

They neared the dance's climax and Maelos doubled the pace; Sonilla held on to him tightly so she wouldn't be left behind. Dashing around the other couples; they were swirling round and round and round...

It ended, and they both snapped to a halt. As the hall erupted in courteous applause for the musicians, they remained still, eyes closed and breathing heavily.

Sonilla moved first. She had not expected such a race, had not imagined how Maelos would sweep her around like that-as if he had danced a hundred times with her.

"Maelos," she began.

He came back from wherever his closed eyes had taken him and instantly released her from his firm hold.

"You dance well," he said, then backed away, careful not to seem imposing.

"You too," she added.

"Really?" he asked modestly, "well...I try."

She laughed, and they returned to their table.

"There was a match," said Rakillen, the man whom Samus had 'bested', "but you won't believe who it is..."

"Actually, I'm sure it's who I thought it would be," replied the woman.

"Let me see," demanded Medici.

Rakillen handed him the paper, his hands were now wrapped. Medici took the printout. He looked at it and grinned as if he too had expected it.

"May I go to the medics now?" asked Rakillen anxiously.

"Go," Medici waved him away absentmindedly. He checked the paper again and then turned to the woman on his right.

"You are so useful, my dear," he flattered his mistress.

"It was all too easy," she closed her eyes like a content cat.

"It's Aran," Medici said out loud to the Council table.

Silence followed, permeated only by the jingling of silverware and the rustle of evening gowns. The assorted species stared at Medici and Rakillen, few dared to look at his mistress. Some are surprised and doubtful, others frowned and narrowed their eyebrows in thought.

"So, the traitor is Torim!" snorted a menacing sentinel next to Medici. He slammed the table and made the dishes and other Council Members jump.

"If only the old ways were still in use," echoed a gruff looking human, "he deserves torture for such betrayal!"

"Oh, Lucius, do be quiet," said a creature next to him. This one was covered in waxy scales and resembled a snake. She turned her liquid eyes to Medici with obvious expectation, "there are worse ways to die."

"Westilo is right," said Medici authoritatively. The table was silent as he reached into his tux jacket and whispered slowly, "there are other, worse, ways to die."

Maelos and Sonilla reached their table. Searching for her wine glass, Sonilla found it empty. She reached for her father's glass.

"He won't mind," she said to Maelos.

The red liquid barely touched her lips when Torim had reappeared, leading Geros and Devajor, and taken the glass from her.

"Oh yes, I will," he said in mock seriousness, " '96 was far too good a year to allow someone else, even my daughter, to drink it."

Then he drained the glass and proceeded to say, "and if you can dance with young Maelos here, then I believe I am entitled to a dance from you as well!"

"Of course, daddy," Sonilla said with a twinkle in her eye.

She gave him such a look of fondness that Maelos couldn't describe it. It was the sort of loving look that could only happen between father and daughter.

It was beautiful.

Sonilla took her father's hands. She loved how they fit around hers. They were just the right size to enclose her small manicured ones and keep them warm.

She playfully leaned forward, meaning to drag her father out to the slow 3-step that was being played. Resistance met her and she pulled harder. Still, Torim did not move.

Turning around, Sonilla faced her father, and, as she did, her expression changed from happiness to confusion.

Samus stood at the other end of the room, surveying Medici's table. The entire Council seemed very smug. She assumed it was because of the morning's results, and once again felt her insides turn to ice. Then her eyes found something that hadn't been there before.

A woman sat at Medici's side. Her pointed face was shielded by long blond hair that looked too perfect to be real. She sat at such an angle that Samus knew she must be in discomfort despite Medici's arm around her. _And_, Samus reasoned, _I bet that long-sleeved dress covers up the bruises that are causing her discomfort. _

Samus stared long and hard at the woman and then the woman looked her way. Their eyes met across a sea of people and tables, and Samus knew without a doubt that the woman was Lorie Moli. _How did she get out! _Samus's mind shouted.

Lorie smiled maliciously, as if hearing the thought, but then they heard a sound that caused them both to turn.

The scream that filled the hall triggered an immediate reaction in Samus. She took off and ran full-out to her charges. The music and dance was forgotten as everyone questioned one another about the deafening noise. Flying around a table, Samus found a circle of people gathered around Maelos and them.

In the center of the commotion, Torim was gasping for air. Sonilla clung to him and kept asking what was wrong. Suddenly, Torim fell and Geros leapt from his chair to help Sonilla support him. He helped her gently place him back in his chair, and then both Maelos and Devajor shouted for help.

Their cries cut through the now quiet room like a knife, and the small circle around Torim began to shrink away as they realized they were needed for help. They were just as confused and wanted nothing to do with the injured Chairman. No one wanted to be singled out for fear of disapproval from another.

Samus pushed her way through and put her hand to Torim's throat. As she had expected, it was stiff, constricted by the poison...

And all the while, Sonilla knelt next to her father on the floor amongst her friends and the fine cushioned dining chairs. Her hands moved frantically from his hands to his chest to his throat to his hands again. She didn't understand what was going on. _Why was this happening? _

Panic filed her and she screamed as she numbly swayed back and forth._ Father! Father! Father!_

"Help him!" she shouted in a shrill voice as tears welled up in her eyes, "help him!"

"There she is!" yelled Medici from the Council's table. He stood and pointed a finger at Samus in condemnation, "Samus Aran! She has killed the Chairman. Capture her!"

The soldiers followed Medici's orders immediately. The people who had surrounded them broke and ran in chaos as the troopers came.

"Get her out of here, Maelos! Now!" Samus commanded.

She took out the transmitter and dove under the nearest table as shots were fired at her.

"Now, Creto!" she shouted into it over the sound of exploding china and the general pandemonium.

A rippling noise blasted through the room and the lights flickered. The floor shuddered and guests fell down as everyone made for the exits. Creto had detonated the wave EMP.

Samus got up and saw the GF soldiers weaving their way through the swarming crowd and the dining tables. Since she was in the middle of the room, it would take them some time to reach her, but not much.

A single soldier, who had covered the ground so quickly by jumping on the table tops, rushed to confront her. He swung his rifle at her head, and she dodged it. Samus ripped the tablecloth off of the nearest table and sent the dining ware flying at her attacker.

This trooper was unperturbed though and managed to knocked her over with a blow to her legs.

He leapt on her, pinning her to the floor and trying to handcuff her.

Samus called upon her proven strength and threw him off. She then twisted, grabbed a knife from amongst the fallen silverware, and stabbed him in the thigh.

The soldier cried out in pain but was silenced when Samus slammed his head into the floor multiple times. Not even his helmet could keep safe from such blows.

Samus stood back up, shaking on her uneasy legs and high heels. She ripped the stylish shoes from her feet, flung them aside, and then ran back to Maelos.

"Sonilla! Come on!" shouted Maelos as Medici gave the order to capture them too.

"No!" sobbed Sonilla. She held on to her father's lifeless body and didn't move.

"Maelos!" Samus called from a few tables away. She beckoned them with her hand and then shouted, "look out!"

Maelos looked up to see almost a dozen soldiers coming at them through the bottleneck of tables. They pushed aside frightened guests, unmindful of who it might be, to reach them.

The nearest started to run for Maelos, who had spread himself in front of the weeping Sonilla to protect her, when a black blur knocked the trooper over.

"Go! We'll hold them!" yelled Devajor as he wrestled with the soldier on the floor.

Geros stepped in front of the others, armed with his plate and knife.

"You will not harm my son!" he shouted at them.

"Run, Maelos!"

The man with dark eyes had no more time to think. He grabbed Sonilla by the waist and, using all his strength, pulled her off her father's corpse.

He had one fleeting glance of his father and best friend fighting off the soldiers before he turned to Samus and, still holding Sonilla, began to run for his life.


	9. The Crash

_KNP: See the bottom of my profile for a response to your questions._

_To all readers: The next chapters will be darker then the previous ones. For I warn you, it must get worse before it can become better._

Chapter 9: The Crash

Running at full speed, Samus came charging out onto dock M. Her body was covered in sweat, most of it from anger and fright instead of exertion. Her halter top dress held her chest loosely and the hair Sonilla had worked so hard on had fallen apart.

She could see her huntership. Creto had activated it and opened the loading hatch. It released from the dock and hovered just over the ground, waiting for a command.

Samus looked behind her and saw Maelos was almost out of the tunnel. He was half running with, half carrying Sonilla, who, even in her darkest hour, had sensed their situation and was attempting to escape too.

But her strength failed and she fell into a crumpled pile, dragging Maelos down with her. Behind them, nearly very available GF soldier was hurrying through the tunnel towards them. The wave EMP's affects were over. The soldiers had been ordered to kill and were only waiting for an open shot.

"Get up!" cried Maelos desperately. He tried to lift her up, but the troopers were coming and he knew they had little time.

"Bring the ship forward," Samus commanded Creto through the transmitter. She then turned and ran to her fallen friends. She came from one side, looking to help, while dozens of rifles came from the other side, bearing only death.

Without warning, Sonilla gagged and then vomited onto the concrete dock floor. Maelos tried to hold her steady as her body went into a violent fit of dry heaves, but at the same time noticed that the fluids on the floor were red-orange with blood. Samus finally reached them just as Sonilla's eyes rolled back and she passed out.

"Creto, get over here!" Samus shouted into the transmitter. The ship was almost to them.

The soldiers had cleared the tunnel. All the other guests had fled already so there was nothing to hide the three fugitives. _We're sitting ducks,_ Samus thought.

The regiment's captain halted and raised his arm. His troops stopped, knelt, and then found a target through their scopes. There was a second in which the line of soldiers looked like perfect statues, then the captain dropped his arm, and they opened fire.

Samus was thrown off her feet as the volley of energy shots collided with her ship's frontal shield. Like a clap of thunder, they exploded in a burst of radiant colors, each blast causing a ripple in the shield. The force of the bombardment slid Maelos and Sonilla several feet back along the concrete as he continued to hold her still.

The sound was deafening while Samus and Maelos carried Sonilla's unconscious body up the loading ramp. The hatch closed and the ship began to gain altitude.

"Buckle her up," Samus told Maelos as she ran past them to the cockpit.

Strapping herself in as quickly as possible, Samus entered a series of vocal and button oriented commands. She put full shielding power to the rear and shifted the ship into full speed.

They burst through the glass case that was around the dock to hold in oxygen. The hole they left in it no doubt created a vacuum, which harmed the soldiers, but Samus didn't look back and most certainly didn't care.

"Give me the coordinates to the closest asteroid field or multi-mooned planet," she told Creto.

"Asteroid field?" questioned Maelos. He had placed Sonilla in a seat and was trying to buckle the harness.

"Yeah, to lose the---" Samus's reply was cut short by a blast that flipped the ship over on its side and made the lights flicker. Maelos tumbled to the ceiling and along the wall to come crashing down on the floor as the ship rolled over. Luckily, he had managed to get Sonilla's arms into the harness and that prevented her from the same bruising fate.

"--battleships."

More blasts were headed their way but this time Samus managed to avoid them. Maelos crawled to Sonilla and finally strapped her in. Then he pulled himself into the seat next to her and fumbled with his own buckle.

"Got it," he groaned when he'd finished. He really didn't want a fall like that again.

"5.3 points north is asteroid field Y654. 2:16 minutes until we reach it," Creto said.

A quintet of Federation class J battleships were baring down on them. Samus's ship was small enough, and she skilled enough, to avoid their long distance shots, but they were gaining. The Hunter's ship was of Chozo-make and the best huntership in the galaxy, but no huntership could match a fully equipped battleship. Samus knew they would be overtaken, unless she could lose them by outmaneuvering them in asteroid field Y654.

Samus piloted the ship into the maze of floating rock, the battleships right on her tail. Their massive guns fired upon the bright orange ship before them, sometimes hitting it, sometimes missing and hitting the asteroids.

"We can't take much more of this, My Lady," said Creto.

"I know," answered Samus as a blow rocked the ship side to side.

She launched the ship into a nose dive under an asteroid. Suddenly the nearest pursuer launched a missile that blew it into violent little chunks of rock. The pieces scattered all around her and she couldn't elude them. The ship was battered by the debris and several missiles from the battleships.

Once they had out-run the rubble, a deadly series of energy blasts hit the ship, and Samus barrel rolled to avoid a second round. Her mind was racing and her heart beating madly. Never before had she met an opponent in flight that could render her ship near-death. The circumstances had never been higher, or an enemy with such an advantage. But then she saw her advantage--the center of the field.

"Hold on!" she called out.

Despite the oncoming obstacles, she gunned the engines to full power and flew towards the dense belt of asteroids. She zipped between a pair of rocks and entered the center, desperately thinking of a way to put to battleships behind her out of commission.

And as she had hoped, the battleships had difficulty in navigating the field's center. It was tightly packed with rotating and floating rocks, some of the spaces barely big enough for Samus's ship.

For several tense minutes she led them through the haphazardly placed asteroids. These offered her plenty of objects to hide behind and use as a shield to spare her failing ones. The battleships were just too big, though, as the asteroids rained down on them. The sharper ones ripped their hulls, and every time they used their guns, they only created more dangers to avoid.

Soon, only one battleship remained in the hunt for the Hunter, Puideya's own flagship, the Deya.

It was one of the most heavily armored battleships in the galaxy. A prototype for the GF's new line of ships, the Deya was the fastest of the five who had set out after Samus. It was equipped with only the finest weapons, and of this, Samus was all too much aware. So far she had been unable to shake the Deya, and the asteroid field was almost at its end. She had to either disable its guns or engines, both just as impossible as the other.

"Get a scanning on their shields' power," Samus ordered Creto.

"Their shields are at 23 and falling," replied Creto, "our own are a 47, but many other systems are on the brink of collapse."

"Is the cloak still working?" she asked.

"Barely," answered Creto.

"Do it."

Creto cloaked the ship as Samus brought them around a large asteroid in a 180 degree loop. Dipping down so she was below the Deya's belly, she flew to face the ship.

Activating her own blasters, she sent a storm of blasts on the asteroids nearest the Deya. The smaller rocks battered the Deya's weakened shield and provided cover for Samus as she released a fierce bombardment of missiles onto the ship.

"Their shields are down!" Creto called out as Samus brought the ship around for another pass.

Samus slowed the ship and rolled away from the missile sent her way. It flew wide and smashed into an asteroid. Samus then sent a truly devastating series of missiles and blasts directly into the Deya's underside, where the thrusters were located.

Immediately, the Deya slowed, and the huntership continued its pass of the great battleship. The Deya was too damaged to continue its pursuit; her bold attack had made certain of that. They could finally escape, as long as their hunter-ship held together. But, the Deya's guns were still operational.

She slammed the controls to the left and started to exit the Deya's range of fire. As a farewell gift, the Deya sent a round her way. It hit the ship with its full force, and, finally, the tittering systems fell.

"Samus!" cried out Creto as left the Deya's range, "the shields are down! Scanners offline, heating, and cooling too. The power-line for the thruster's auto reboot system has been severed, along with the missile launchers."

_Damn it! _Samus thought. They'd just escaped their enemy, and now the ship was falling apart. _At least it held this long._

Dozens of alerts and alarms lit up the cockpit in a flurry of red and yellow. Automated messages of caution were uttered, and Maelos, who had been hunched over trying to control his swirling stomach, looked up.

"What's going on? I thought we made it," he asked, his voice weak.

Another alert lit up on the control panel. It was not a broken system but one that was working just right. It was her lock-on detection alarm. She touched the light, and it created a mini-hologram. It displayed a picture of two missiles and a description of them, but she needed no description.

_Oh no._

"Stream all power to the engines, now!"

"Yes," answered Creto.

Two high speed, heat-seeking missiles were on their tail. She had no shields. There was no way to counter them because her missiles were disabled. Normal blasters wouldn't do the job fast enough, they would reach her before she could do any real damage. No hope of outrunning them existed. She needed a secondary target that she could get the missiles to hit instead of her.

Then she saw it.

The last asteroid, a massive one not far before her with its surface covered in expansive craters and ice. Using her expert eye, Samus judged that she could make a 70 degree angled shot over it, if she timed it right. That should be enough to throw off the missiles and force them into hitting it instead. And if not...well it was their only chance.

She shifted the engines into overdrive and felt a kick as they groaned to meet her demand. They weren't going to last long. She was flying right into the asteroid. Her ears had long ago stopped listening to the sounding alarms, but in the moments before she pulled up, she heard Maelos draw in a breath.

The missiles followed them like a vulture straight towards the asteroid. Samus was fervently counting the seconds until she would pull up when the worst happened; the thrusters gave out.

She felt them give, and instantly knew that the back-up system had to be started. The ship maintained the same speed, but they were coming closer to the asteroid's surface. With the ship at this angle and the inability to accelerate, she would crash into the asteroid and everything would end there.

She grasped the controls tightly and started to pull up prematurely. Her plan was failing, but there was nothing she could do to fix it.

Her mind raced through all her knowledge of the ship. Creto had said the thruster's auto reboot was severed but had said nothing of the manual switch in the backroom.

"Maelos!" she screamed, straining to hold the controls back and keep the ship even.

"You have to activate the other system. Pull the switch by my weapon cabinet!"

The ship was starting to drift down. It was dipping to the right, ready to roll over and careen into the asteroid beneath them. The missiles were about to hit them. The ship had almost reached the top of the asteroid, but it wasn't going fast enough to clear it.

"Maelos!"

Fighting fear and nausea, he undid his harness and sprung from his seat to the floor. The ship dipped and scrapped the asteroid. Struggling to stand, Maelos ran to the back, and just before the ship crashed, threw back the switch.

The ship fell towards the icy rock and then, in a sudden burst of energy, cleared the asteroid with barely inches to spare. Its newly powered thrusters launched it into the void of space. Maelos's legs gave out, and he was tossed into the ship's backroom. Behind them, the missiles exploded into the asteroid and sent millions of rock particles in every direction. There was a single flare of red and then the oxygen-less space reclaimed the darkness.

Samus laughed with relief as Maelos echoed the cry from far in the ship's end.

"We did it!" she exclaimed. In all of her close-calls there had never been another living soul around; she had never had a partner to help her. This time she had had both in Maelos, and she was going to let him know how well he did.

"Great job Maelos! Haha! Now we're almost clear."

She was just about to call Creto and start charting their destination when the realization that they could go no-where hit her. At that moment in her celebration, she was abruptly silenced. They would have to go out of the Federation's borders; it was the only place open to them.

"Where are we going to go?" asked Maelos as he limped into the cockpit. He had re-hurt his left shoulder during his heroics and now held it gingerly.

But neither he or Samus were given any more time to think about their course. Suddenly all systems but the most basic went out, and the cockpit was thrown into darkness.

"What happened?" Samus cried out.

"The ship's systems are overtaxed," Creto said from overhead, "only the steering and minimal thrusters remain online. I am charting a landing course on the nearest moon of that planet."

Their victory cut short, both Samus and Maelos looked out and saw a planet far ahead of them, just a speck in their sight. But just to the left of their ship, filling up the windshield while in its furtherest point of orbit, was a moon of that planet.

Immediately, the moon's gravity caught them and they were pulled down towards the atmosphere.

"Get back in your seat, Maelos," she said in a low, serious voice, "we're not out of this yet."

Maelos obeyed and Samus was silent as she tried to get control of the ship. So many systems were down that she had almost zero influence over the ship's velocity and direction as they entered the moon's atmosphere.

The moon's surface was a blurred landscape of green and purple. As they came closer, Samus saw that the green was a forest that dominated the area they were headed for while the purple formed mountains in the distance. The land before them neared, and Samus could make out individual trees.

They were going in too fast, but she could do nothing to slow the racing ship or change its course. The tree tops were right below them, speeding by like rippling waves. She cried out in frustration and once more tried to pull up.

These efforts were in vain though, and the orange ship crashed into the forest.

Something was shaking her. Into the darkness of her mind came a fuzzy something, a feeling of being needed. Someone was calling her name. It echoed in her head, and then she woke.

"Samus!" Maelos shouted. He shook her and yelled again, "wake up! Help me!"

Samus opened her eyes to find her cockpit in ruins. Several tree branches had punctured the windshield and ripped open the control panel and walls. Shattered glass covered the panel and floor and her lap.

"Samus!" exclaimed Maelos as she looked at him. He seemed alright despite the gash in his forehead, which was already crusted with blood.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"I, uh, I don't know," replied Maelos. He closed his eyes to think and then swayed on his feet. He nearly fell over but managed to grab the wall and lean against it.

"You should sit down," Samus told him.

"But Sonilla..." he sighed as he sat down in his seat. He then motioned to the unconscious woman next to him.

"Ugh," groaned Samus as she remembered everything about their flight.

She started to unbuckled her harness when an acute pain in her right arm shot through her body. She winced and studied her arm. A good sized piece of glass was imbedded in her flesh. Its jagged edge pointing towards the broken windshield.

Carefully, Samus pulled it out. The pain was terrible as it slid out of her muscle, but luckily it hadn't hit an artery or large vein. Blood slowly trickled down her arm. She relaxed once it had left her body and then threw it to the floor, where it broke in two.

She then checked the rest of herself. There were some nasty cuts on her bare legs, but no more serious punctures.

Samus unbuckled herself and got up. Once again the broken glass was against her. It littered the floor all the way to where Maelos and Sonilla were, but Samus had no shoes on. Gritting her teeth, she picked her way through it and came to Sonilla's side.

"Torim was poisoned," she told Maelos, even though he knew that. She then said, "did she drink anything?"

Maelos went pale as he recalled the moment Sonilla had tried to drink her father's wine. Undoubtedly it had touched her lips and entered her system. Yes, she had drank of her father's poison.

Samus took this to be the answer and ordered he get her out of the seat harness. She ran into her sleeping quarters. From it came the sound of ripping fabric as she removed her dress and put on her signature skin tight body suit. She came out and went to her suit's storage room where she donned her bio-suit.

"Activate the recharge chamber," she commanded Creto as she lifted up Sonilla.

"My Lady, the chamber takes too much energy. Our power is limited right now and this action could turn off the whole ship."

"Take offline everything except the chamber then," Samus relied heatedly.

"Yes, Samus," answered Creto.

Maelos followed Samus into the recesses of the ship. In the far back they stopped before a wall. Panels which had covered the wall slid back to reveal a glass chamber filled with light blue liquid.

Samus entered one door and entered a pre-entry walkway. An oxygen mask dropped from overhead, and she put this over Sonilla's mouth. She then entered the actual chamber through a second door.

Maelos peered into the glass room and watched them. Samus, in her suit, moved normally, while Sonilla swayed and was dragged side-to-side by the fluid. The loose bits of her hair lifted up and floated shapelessly in the blue.

He continued to watch as dozens of IV's and other monitors were inserted or attached to Sonilla's body. This process held him spell bound for several minutes until Samus left the chamber and removed her helmet.

"How bad is it, Creto?" Samus asked the computer as it observed her vital signs.

"I am unable to identify what the poison is. It is something I have no information on, but whatever it is, it is potent. When she vomited on the dock, most of it left her system. Her dose was so small that her body had time to react to it, unlike Torim. But several of her organs have already been damaged and are deteriorating. I can keep her hydrated and nourished, and monitor her, but I can't heal her," said the computer

Samus walked away and then returned with a towel, which she used to wipe off her bio-suit. She sighed and Creto continued.

"I don't know what to say, but I don't know how to treat her. I've filtered her system already, but still it continues to eat away at her vitals. It doesn't look good, Samus. If she does not receive the correct antidote, which I don't even know if it exists, in the next 36 hours then she will die."

Maelos grasped his head and then sank to the ground in defeat. He'd thought that they would succeed at the Unity Ball, and that all of this would be over. Instead, Torim had been murdered, his daughter lay dying, and they were stranded on a moon with no knowledge of it or means to leave.

It was so overwhelming, so depressing. He felt physically wounded and emotionally reeling. What would they do? How would they get out of this? Samus had said they would defeat this, the threat of Medici. But now that seemed so far and yet so near at the same time. Survival was now their biggest mission, but by completing that they were allowing Medici time to do his will.

His mind screamed for a solution, but he could think of nothing.

"What do we do?" he asked Samus.

He sat on the floor, head in his hands and looked up to her. And Samus remembered their conversation the day before, but this time she couldn't say with conviction that they would success. She wasn't sure; she, too, was despairing.

And so, despite the pain it caused her, she answered him honestly, "I don't know."


	10. Fallen Heroes

_Author's Notes: First and foremost, I apologize for the delay in my updating. School, and with it sports, have started again, and so I have almost zero time for myself, let alone to write. That, coupled with the fact that I didn't know how to start this chapter are the reasons for the wait. Sorry._

_I can't decide whether I like this chapter or not, but it is an essential one. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter though (I think of it as my second catalyst)._

_In the beginning, I didn't expect this story to be so long. I have **at least **four more chapters planned after this one, which I expect to raise this story to above 40,000 words._

_Read on..._

Chapter 10: Fallen Heroes

Lorie Moli checked her arm cannon for the tenth time in the last five minutes. The green cannon was fine, of course, but she was anxious to get going. Everytime she lifted her arm and saw the orange and red suit it was unnerving. Medici had been furious that Samus had escaped, and so he was now bent on destroying every bit of the galaxy's trust in the famed Hunter. It so happened that Sharjack had stolen a prototype of Aran's suit before he split from the Space Pirates, and now it was Lorie Moli who wore it. It looked exactly like the Chozo bio-suit, but lacked its power, special beams, and morph ball mode.

It was almost time for Lorie to move, the dark of night settling on the city. Behind her, a score of armed Space Pirates waited with her.

She didn't like being around them. The Pirates were all several feet taller than she; their reptilian bodies were shadowed and imposing. They would whisper in guttural clicks and rasps only to break out in a grating laughter that was as black as midnight. What was worse about them though was their eyes. Lorie could not bring herself to look them in the eye, for they burned into her thoughts. The Space Pirates frightened her, and she knew that they could sense her fear.

But this was the plan, and it had to be done. _Today is the day, _she reminded herself. Today was the day that Medici would immerge as the sole ruler of the Federation.

Peering out of the dark alley where they were hidden, Lorie saw the convoy coming. She retracted her head and then several armored hovercraft bearing the Federation insignia drove past them. Lorie knew they were headed to the Grand Capere Centre where an emergency House meeting was about to take place.

She then turned to the Pirates. It was difficult to see them in the alley because of their black attire. After a moment of searching, she found a pair of flaming eyes and addressed them.

"Let's get moving," she said, trying to sound authoritative.

The Pirate she spoke to was in charge of the small Pirate squad. He shuddered though as Lorie spoke to him. She looked so much like the Hunter, but she was not. It looked identical, the suit did, but Lorie Moli did not possess the aura of the Hunter.

Venlaf had seen the Hunter before. He could remember her speed and cold accuracy; the awe of her terrible power. But what he, and the few other Pirates who had survived Aran, remembered most was her visor. The green glass hid her eyes, but that just made it worse, to not fully see your enemy and killer. He could remember the heat of the visor bearing down on him as he fled the room, could recall the fear he felt in his retreat.

But Lorie Moli was not Samus Aran. She was a killer, yes, but not Aran.

Still, this was part of the plan-- to blame the killing of the Council on Samus, who had joined with the rogue Pirates.

With a silent command, he ordered his troops to follow him as he followed Lorie out into the quiet street. The curfew had been re-ordered to start at 8:30 p.m., so the street was deserted.

They spoke no words, and the air around them hung stagnant. They clung to the street's edge, hiding in the shadows of the tall buildings. And after a few turns they came out on Centre Street, where the Grand Capere Centre was.

Lorie stopped several blocks before the building and held up her left fist for the halt. They were now located on the opposite side as the convoy, roughly 300 yards away. The convoy had stopped and a regiment of GF troopers was preparing to escort the Council into the Centre.

She gave the signal to go to their positions.

Venlaf and half of his Pirates cloaked themselves and headed down the street and past the convoy. Half of the remaining Pirates also cloaked themselves, their outline shimmering in the twilight, and crossed the street. The remaining Pirates gathered behind Lorie, uncloaked and visible. They stood still and silent as the troopers formed a shield around the Council.

The Grand Capere Centre was extremely tall, with sloping sides that met with a wide base. A solid trapezoid of black alloy, it was in total command of the city skyline. It was raised up high above the other buildings by a slowly climbing silver staircase. And now the Council was beginning to climb those long stairs.

"...28...29...30..." counted Lorie Moli. They were now all in position for the three-pronged attack.

Lorie's group broke the quiet as they rushed towards the convoy. The Pirates unsheathed their laser sabers and leapt out several strides ahead of Lorie, screaming in their raspy tongue. She grasped the cannon with her left hand and held it steady as she unleashed a line of fire onto the soldiers.

The soundless dusk was broken by the cries of the GF troopers as the two invisible flanks closed in and attacked. Desperate to protect their leaders, the regiment fired back and led them up the stairs.

Lorie Moli took a running start and then used her Space Jump Boots to lunch herself up in front of the fleeing group.

The first Council Member she attacked was Medici. She swung her cannon at his head and, not using all her power, knocked him unconscious. Then she turned on the other Council Members.

She shot out at their unshielded bodies with her Power Beam and watched as they were consumed by the energy. Venlaf and his Pirates came hacking on all sides of the regiment and trapped the soldiers and Council in a loose circle.

Lorie shot a screaming Council Member in his chest and watched as the energy ball engulfed the human's flesh and left a gaping hole. The man toppled down the steps and was trampled by his own troopers as they made a last stand.

In the next minute, all of the Members and troopers were cut down by the Pirates until only one being remained.

Venlaf came forward with two of his sergeants holding the Council Member from Quadrant IV, Westilo.

Her lean body coiled under the Pirates repulsive grip, trying to escape. She hissed at Lorie Moli with her forked tongue. Once the Pirates stopped before the Samus-look-alike, Westilo's snake eyes glazed over in defeat, and she murmured in her native language, which sounded very much like the Pirates'.

She knew what was about to happen.

The two Pirates forced her to kneel before Lorie.

It was an execution.

Lorie Moli brought her arm cannon to Westilo's head and fired.

"I second the motion!" called out the 3rd Representative of Olit, Adam Uvore.

The gathering hall at Ivra Space Station had been ill prepared for the relocated House Members. The fourteen thousand Representatives and Ambassadors had been crammed into a hall only built for twelve thousand, tables touched walls, and chairs couldn't be moved without hitting something. Regardless of the close quarters, nearly all the House jumped to its feet and cried "aye" to the opinion.

The roar of cries rebounded off the walls, and it took several minutes for the self-appointed "House Leader", Ambassador Quetoc, to bring them back to order.

"The events of tonight have crippled the Federation," his voice projected by a microphone, "and we must choose a new leader now that the Council has been destroyed."

He paused to seem remorseful, but it could have been a feigned look.

"We vote now. Those in favor of giving the only remaining Council Member, Gavin Medici, emergency executive power of the Galactic Federation, so that he can stop the Space Pirates and Samus Aran, press the affirmative key on your voting control."

All around the room, the House voted. Members loyal to the Zenian Party readily selected their key and pressed it. Others took a slightly longer time, but all were finished in less than two minutes.

Ambassador Quetoc turned to the console next to him. It was a portable voting machine, which registered all of the votes coming from the House's controls. Its screen was solid blue, but occasionally it flickered as if the machine was thinking about something.

Finally the votes were in. Quetoc faced the screen and read off the results.

"On House Action #142, of the Galactic year 20X4, the vote is 10,986 to 3,014 in favor of the Action. This is a 78 majority. The Action passes."

Several hours later, on a distant planet named Bluyk, it was mid-day and a 17 year old girl watched the Galactic News with her mother. She sat perfectly still, fully concentrated on the gold and red figure on the screen. Her mother rushed to the TV and turned it off as the anchor delivered the news that the House had given Medici full control of the Federation.

"That's enough," the mother said quietly, "get upstairs and get working on your science project."

"Helpana," said the girl. She spoke slowly, in an almost patronizing voice, "it's not due until Monday, and I'm already done."

The mother noticed her daughter's tone and the use of her first name and winced. She had spoken in this manner all her life, even as a toddler, as if she were better than everyone but understood and forgave their errors. It was something that the mother had learned to live with, but sometimes it sent a shiver down her spine. Instead of reprimanding her daughter though, Helpana nodded.

The daughter said nothing more but looked out the window at the bleak autumn landscape. Winter was coming; the grass was graying and the trees were nearly bare. A baby grand piano stood by the window, and her greens eyes turned to it.

"I think I'll play something," she said.

"Good idea, honey. You play so well," said Helpana while she left the room.

The young lady pulled out the piano's bench and gracefully sat down. Slowly moving her raven black hair off her shoulders, she selected a piece of sheet music. She opened up its five pages across the piano's stand and sighed as she recognized the weaving and scattered music notes. The title read in some strange tongue "Ip Evro Tombes", _The Hero Falls._

The first tritone split the air and echoed through the hall to her mother in the kitchen. The daughter continued and the melody unfolded, dark and sorrowful. Helpana understood that it was a lament to the hero her daughter had believed in.

"Oh Minavara," she whispered. _Sometimes they fail us._

But Minavara played her lament the whole way through, flawless and with emotion. She could not understand how Samus Aran could join her enemies, the Space Pirates, and then kill the Council. She would not accept how everything around her was failing. Minavara could sense the hatred Medici held in his voice and glance, and she could not accept that he was now in power.

The galaxy was about to fall, and there was nothing she personally could do except watch. But she felt, with an intuition that had never failed her, that something was going to be revealed, and then that something would save them. But until then she would play and wait, and hope that not all the heroes had fallen.


	11. Contemplation and Introspection

_Yeah, this chapter took a while, but it is incredibly important (and fun to write). As the title says, this chapter is full of Maelos and Samus's thoughts and feelings._

Chapter 11: Contemplation and Introspection

"Arrrggghhhh!" shouted Maelos.

He raised the hammer high above his head and hurled the tool at the ship's orange side. It twirled through the air and hit its target with a ring. The ship, though, was defiant as the hammer fell to the ground, not leaving the slightest mark on the bright metal.

In frustration he again threw his head back and screamed to the sky, but the clouds merely rolled by.

His temper suddenly overcome by a deep despair, Maelos sank to the ground. He had taken off his tux jacket and shirt and wore only a white undershirt, now wet with sweat. He spread his legs and arms, making a human X, and felt the dirt stick to his bare shoulders and arms. Staring up at the gray sky, he thought with chagrin, _it's going to rain._

And this is how Samus found him. She had heard his exclamations and had made her way out to him. She wore her bio-suit without its helmet and knew what she would find--him full of anger at his inability to fix the ship.

_It's impossible, _she thought. The entire hull was tore to shreds, roots and rocks came up through the floor. Several panels in the ship's sides had gaping holes in them, and, of course, the windshield was destroyed. She didn't even want to think about all of the ripped wiring and severed system lines again; she and Creto had already agonized over them for the last two hours.

And there he was, the absolute picture of defeat. The crash had conquered him.

She bent down and picked up the hammer. This and several other mediocre tools had been all she could offer him to work with, and they both knew it wasn't enough. _Hell, _she thought, _even at Geros's shop, with all the parts and supplies and labor, these repairs would take weeks. And all I have is a this?_

She sighed and tossed the hammer into the ship via a gaping hole next to her.

Then she went and stood over him. She looked down at Maelos and could detect his rage and grief as his dark eyes looked up at the sky past hers. The hair on his head was limp with perspiration and now peppered with dirt. There was stubble on his cheeks and chin now. In spite of this, he was still handsome.

"Get up Maelos," she said.

"Why?" he questioned from his spread-eagle on the ground.

"It's going to rain," she stated. As if to emphasize this, a brisk wind blew back her pony-tail. It carried an electric taste.

She offered her arm, and Maelos looked at it for some time before allowing her to pull him up. Once he was on his feet, Samus went and lifted herself up through the broken windshield. Maelos slowly followed suit.

It had been six hours since they had crash-landed on the deserted moon. In that time they had worked tirelessly to evaluate the ship's damage and fix it. So far, they had only swept up the broken glass and realized that their situation was impossible.

Maelos went to his seat on the wall and picked his tux jacket out of the seat. His body was no longer warmed by exertion, and the beads of sweat on his arms had turned into a cold, slick film. The temperature had dropped 10 degrees in the last half hour, and he felt chilled. He put the jacket on and settled into the chair.

Samus sat down in her cockpit chair and stared at where her windshield had been. So many galaxies had been seen through that transparent square. Alas, the time had come that it would be shattered and her ship rendered sightless. And how she hated that thought; that her ship was permanently grounded. But there was no way she could save it, _and no way I can save myself._

A rogue wind whistled through the ship and announced the rain.

It started gently. The air pressure dropped, and the forest around them echoed with the sound of small droplets hitting the leaves. The sound, pitter-patter-pitter-patter, was relaxing. Then several lightning flashes illuminated the ship inside and out; a drum roll of thunder followed. Darkness fell, and the rain intensified as giant drops hit the broken ship. Water splashed in through the broken windshield and ripped walls. The rain was coming down in solid sheets now, filling the cockpit with water.

"Get to the back!" Samus shouted above the deafening clatter of rain hitting metal.

Maelos pulled his jacket tight and headed to the back of the ship. He reached the back and was given a fright when he realized Samus was not behind him. Several seconds past, then Samus appeared carrying her helmet and a blanket.

"Here," she offered the blanket to the shivering Maelos.

"Thanks," he said through chattering teeth.

They had retreated to the very end of the ship, where the re-charge chamber was located. With only that system online, none of the hallway's lights worked. Weak fluorescent bulbs lined the bottom of the chamber, but they had only enough light to cast the shadow of the fluid's ripples on the walls.

So, Maelos and Samus sat down against opposite walls in the twilight while a storm raged around the abandoned hunter-ship. They faced each other with Sonilla floating in the chamber between them.

Samus placed her helmet on the floor next to her and looked over at the man with dark eyes. He had wrapped the blanket around himself so that only his head was visible. It was so dark though that even with her keen eyes, the Hunter could barely make out his profile.

He had no bio-suit to keep him warm, had no instinct to fight or strategize. She was stronger, faster, and sharper-witted than he, but Samus couldn't help feeling proud of what he had done to save them. _He saved the day when I couldn't, _she thought, _but who will save us now?_

Their was a shift in his outline. Samus could tell he was no longer looking at her. His eyes were fixed on Sonilla.

The mixture of weak light and gently flowing blue liquid made Sonilla's body look eerily alien. Maelos could only see shades of black and gray cast on her body. Her hair and wispy dress floated freely around her. She looked almost like a new-age medusa, but she was still beautiful to him.

And he was filled with pity for her. She was now an orphan. Her mother had died giving her life, and now her father had died for the sake of the galaxy. Neither she nor the late Torim had mentioned any siblings or close relatives. She was alone.

_To be all alone in the galaxy, _Maelos thought. A human was already small enough, but then to be stranded without any family? How would she cope when she awoke? And he noticed that he used the word _when_, and not _if._ Did he really believe she would live? Did he really believe that he and Samus would live?

And what of his father and best friend. Were they dead? Captured? Tortured? His heart was suddenly full of pain as the realization of their loss hit. His father might be dead. Devajor may have been killed as he fought off the soldiers. And they had done all that for him. Guilt and horror filled him.

He and Geros had just learned to love one another again, and Devajor had been his eternally loyal friend. How could the-powers-that-were be so cruel as to separate them? And what was happening to them now? Were they being interrogated? Or were they face-up in some cold morgue where--

_I cannot think of that! _Maelos told himself. _But there is nothing to do **but**_** _think_**, his mind answered. The storm had become background noise to him.

And what about Torim? What of his sacrifice? Maelos could still hear the gurgles of the dying Chairman.

Maelos looked at Sonilla again. He tried to suppress his agony by thinking about their dance together. Glimpses of the ball filled his head. The flash of gold and silver, the glass dome ceiling. He could hear the waltz in his head and couldn't deny his attraction. There was no hiding the way he had felt with his hands on her waist.

He looked over to where he knew Samus was sitting, but couldn't see anything except a shadow. _She can take care of herself, _he thought with relief. He had played the hero once but knew it would be the only time.

So, with grim resolve, he silently pledged himself to Sonilla's protection and swore to either aid Samus in the rescue of Geros and Devajor or in avenging them and Torim.

Samus had closed her eyes. She let the sound of thunder and rain consume her senses.

_We were so lucky to land on a moon with an oxygen atmosphere_. She had told herself this so many times already. Creto had said the odds were 798,203 to 1.

_Poor Creto, _she thought. Her computer was now completely helpless. It had managed to remember the last coordinates before the cockpit was plunged into darkness, and from that Samus and Creto had deduced that they were on one of 23 moons orbiting planet SJY654. Creto had also told her that neither the planet nor any of the moons were inhabited, and the nearest life was 59 hours away. After that, Creto had fallen silent.

But she could not focus on the sorrow of her ship's internal computer. She kept playing the Unity Ball over in her head. What had she done wrong? How had Lorie Moli escaped? How had they poisoned Torim without her seeing them? And how had they known she was Samus Aran?_ How?_

She couldn't get the sight of Torim gasping for air out of her mind. Her hands tingled where she had touched his throat. She felt grief for him, a feeling that was foreign to her. She had admired him, and still did. _He is a martyr for our cause. We will not forget._

She opened her eyes and saw Sonilla. It was now her duty to protect the girl, if she lived. Samus noticed how she had said _if_.

It was also her duty to avenge Torim, save Geros and Devajor if they were still alive, and to watch over Maelos. But first she had to get them off this forsaken rock. Then she would have to confront Medici, and possibly Sharjak and Lorie Moli.

The task was daunting. The fear she had felt while fighting the metroids paled in comparison to the thought of living through this mission.

And there would be no money for it. This time, it wasn't about money.

The rain was letting up. The lightning was less, and the thunder sounded distant.

When she finally did catch Medici, she would make sure he suffered. He had deceived the galaxy, murdered innocents and her ally, tried to kill her, and was just purely evil. He deserved to suffer, and she would be sure to deliver that justice upon him.

Her mind trailed off into what methods she might use to harm him the most when she felt something touch her mind. It was a Presence, a metaphysical feeling. It bumped next to her conscious thought and asked permission to enter.

Samus froze. _What is this? _her mind screamed. As if from far away, a feeling of reassurance came to her. The Presence was somehow familiar, it felt like a dream she couldn't quite remember. She immediately threw up a wall of defensive thought against the invader. Whatever it was, she couldn't allow it to read her mind. While she did this, her mind was also racing to think of what this might be.

But suddenly the Presence was gone.

_What was that? _she thought. She tried to reason, _maybe I just hallucinated. It wouldn't be the first time._

"Samus!" yelled Maelos. He jumped to his feet, trying to hold the blanket and grab his head at the same time.

"Something's inside my head!" he shouted.

"Maelos---!" Samus was cut off by a steadily growing drone from above.

Samus jumped to her feet, and Maelos stopped thrashing around. He was panting and his eyes were wide with terror at the invasion of his mind.

"Follow me," Samus ordered. She put her helmet on and marched to the cockpit.

She stopped at her suit compartment and took out an extra helmet. She handed it to Maelos and then went to her weapon display and entered the password. The buzzing pulse was growing louder as she selected a high-powered beam gun and gave it to Maelos. He held the helmet and gun in his hands stupidly.

"Put them on!" she growled at him.

Something serious was about to happen. First, a Presence had tried to enter both their minds and now this sound, most likely from a spaceship. They may have to go out shooting.

The noise was directly above them. They were now in the cockpit and could see filtered glances of the outside through the thick trees surrounding the crash site. It was drizzling and gray, but they could see the spaceship coming.

It was a massive battleship like none Samus had ever seen.. Just from looking at it, she knew it could have easily rivaled the Deya. Shaped like a narrow bullet, it was jet black with pulsing blue designs around its edges. Dozens of intimidating cannons were mounted on its side, and it gave off a blue aura of strength.

It descended upon the forest directly in front of them. The trees bent to the force of its landing, snapping at the base and falling. Gusts of wind whirled the leaves and kicked up dirt in all directions. The noise reached a fever-pitch and then stopped as the ship landed.

Everything was silent. A hatch opened on the ship's side, and a ramp was lowered.

Samus crouched behind her cockpit chair with her cannon ready. Maelos held his gun awkwardly next to her.

Samus caught his eye and together they crawled to the windshield's rim.

"Stay here until I call you," she whispered to him. He nodded.

She soundlessly lifted herself over the edge and dropped the 15 feet to the forest floor. When she hit the ground, she rolled and hid behind a fallen tree.

It was still relatively dark outside as the rain fell lightly. Mist came up from the ground in little whiffs. Samus switched to her Thermal Visor.

The whole ship glowed orange, and its heat obstructed her entire visor. Samus recoiled from the angry colors and switched to the X-ray Visor. She slowly crept forward but couldn't see inside the ship itself.

Then a dozen for so tall figures ran down the ramp. The visor showed her lanky skeletons and alien skulls in a mess of gray.

Instantly, Samus moved to her Combat Visor and unleashed a round of fire onto the aliens. What happened next was something she would never forget.

There was a piercing blast of light as her shots exploded against a force field. The blast threw her several feet up in the air and onto her back. She tried to stand, but the light felt like a tangible weight, which held her to the ground. When the weight finally lifted, she was still blinded by the blast. Her mind was screaming all possible alerts and warning of death.

She raised her arm cannon to fire again, but...

It was a Luminoth.

Clad in a long white robe, the Luminoth held out its open palm. Some twenty feet behind it stood a small squad of Warriors.

"Peace, Samus Aran, Chozo Warrior and Savior of Aether," it said in the Common tongue. " I am Y-Cah, the nephew and understudy of U-Mos, Sentinel of Aether. I come as his herald."

Samus kept her cannon pointed at Y-Cah's head, but had no thought of firing anymore. She was in absolute shock. This was the last thing she had ever expected.

"Pray, please forgive my prying of you and your friend's minds. I had to be sure of your identities. We Luminoth have mobilized to stop the corruption of the galaxy. It just so happened that my uncle was monitoring this area when you crashed and directed us to come to your aid. Please, call your friend while my mechanics see to your ship. We have much to discuss."

_Ha. And you thought I was going to leave them stranded on a moon to die...?_


	12. Back to the Battle

_I'm sorry about the wait. This chapter contains **alot **of dialogue, and a seriously long speech by Y-Cah. I hope it doesn't bore you, it was the best way, I thought, to explain alot of important things._

Chapter 12: Back to the Battle

Sonilla awoke to find herself alone in a strange room. She emerged from the night of unconsciousness to something just as dark and unfamiliar. Except, this darkness was pierced by an orange light. A lamp was perched on a bedstand on her right. She sat up, the covers falling into her lap, and realized she was naked. Her skin was clean and smelled of bath oils; her hair had been washed and brushed. She suddenly felt very vulnerable, free to the unknown.

Sonilla snatched the covers back up and covered her breast. She stared into the black room with fear. She could not remember any of the dreams she had dreamt while asleep, but she remembered strong feelings of fear and despair. Something had attacked her.

When nothing rushed out at her from the darkness, she turned again to the lamp. It was a small lamp, covered in ornate figures she did not recognize. The metal base twisted up and created a bowl, which supported a glass sphere. Inside the sphere was a steadily burning flame. There was no wood or burner inside the sphere, only the flame. _How can that be? _Sonilla questioned.

Next to the bedstand was a wooden chair. Over the chair-back was a soft gown and on the seat was a pair of equally soft moccasins. They were obviously for her. She hesitated, and then got out of bed to dress herself.

When she had finished, she sat in the chair and studied the lamp for several minutes. She traced it over with her eyes and fingers, but could not find the lamp's source of energy or make sense of the strange characters.

She was tracing the markings with her right hand when she noticed that her ring was missing. The imprint remained on her ring finger, but the silver band was gone. _The dark took it from me, _she reasoned. Somehow, this did not surprise her, but another wave of despair came over her. That ring had symbolized all she had stood for, but the darkness had taken it from her, along with her clothes.

_Where is everyone? Where am I?_ She suddenly asked. The vague and ancient feelings of fear and despair pounced on her. Samus and Maelos weren't here. Something had happened, something very important, and she had forgotten.

The memory was right on the tip of her tongue. _What it is? _she thought. The memory paused a moment longer, and then fell off her tongue into her consciousness. It hit her like a tidal wave.

_Father!_

She grabbed a pillow and buried her tears in it.

Maelos stroked his face, feeling how smooth his skin was just after shaving. It was a rare moment of self-complacency. He felt refreshed from his 21 hours of sleep. He had bathed and shaved, and was now clothed in a robe that the Luminoth had given him. It was sky blue, soft to the touch, and complemented his dark eyes.

Sliding into the wall on silent gears, the circular door to his room opened. A Luminoth with auburn markings stepped in.

"Good afternoon, Maelos the Ambassador," it said and bowed, "I am D-Nav, Senior Healer aboard this ship. I have come to bring you to Samus, the blessed Savior, so that, together, you may visit your friend."

"Sonilla?" asked Maelos, his eyes opened wide.

"Yes. Follow me."

D-Nav turned and walked out into the hallway, and Maelos hurried after him. The door slid shut behind them, and Maelos found himself in a different world.

He followed D-Nav down corridor A03 of the Luminoth battleship A-Kul, which was named after the legendary Champion of Aether. The corridor was shaped like a rectangle with rounded edges, and every surface was plated in a dark metal that resembled titanium. Maelos was used to the alloyed walls of standard Federation faculties, and, at first, the monotone reminded him of that and he felt a sick nostalgia. Then he noticed how the dome lights on the high ceiling brightened the hall and caused variations in the continuous plane of titanium.

He glanced behind him and could see down A03 to an intersection of corridors where several Luminoth walked past. All of them had different color markings. _Are they for professions? Or seniority. Class? _he wondered.

Maelos was still absorbing the angles of light and color markings when another wonder entered his vision. On the wall to his right, a message appeared. The message was orange in color and written in Luminoth figures. Maelos stopped walking. He looked at the script and watched as it scrolled on like a computer text, the oldest portion disappearing as new words were typed. Suddenly, the message began again in the Common Tongue- _Maelos and D-Nav, the Hunter, blessed is she, is currently in B02, headed to the Patient Holding Room. Meet her there._

He stared at the wall while the message faded out completely.

"So, you have discovered the Rita Missatic," D-Nav chuckled from behind.

"What...?" Maelos muttered.

"Our technology is far above yours, my dear Ambassador. It is very difficult to explain to other species, and even I do not claim to understand it all. But, come, place your hand here."

D-Nav gently grasped Maelos's hand, placed it on the wall, and withdrew it. His handprint remained on the wall in light silver, as if he had touched a super sensitive computer screen. It slowly faded away.

"All the walls and ceilings, and the floors to a certain extent, are like this. They are Rita Missatic, a tablet that can be written on and read. That message you read was sent to our exact spot because the Readers in the Control Room can process the information coming from the ship's sensors and pinpoint our location. If one of us ever needs to receive information, the Readers can send it to us via Rita Missatic."

Maelos stood speechless. Then his brow furrowed and he turned to D-Nav.

"But can't you communicate using telepathy?" he asked. "I've seen you do it already."

"Well," D-Nav began to walk again and Maelos followed, "we should go and meet Samus, the blessed Savior. To answer your question, yes, but there are problems with telepathy that non-telepathic beings do not know. First, think of how large this ship is, and how many Luminoth are onboard. It is extremely difficult to locate an individual Luminoth. Unlike what you think, you cannot just send out a message and expect it to reach its destination. You must actually find that being's Pensare, its intangible, mental state of being, and they must be open to receiving a message. And with so many Luminoth searching for the correct Pensare, some messages can be lost or relayed to the wrong being. Second, telepathy is not a simple thing to do. It requires energy, concentration, and training. The message length and distance it must travel affect how much energy is needed. Many of our ancestors fell sick because they used their telepathy too freely. My Ambassador, it is more complicated then it seems, and, thus, we created the Rita Missatic."

"Oh," replied Maelos. He felt very small walking besides this creature, which was both physically and mentally more advanced.

"Also, in times of battle, the Rita Missatic can detect changes in temperature and pressure. If our enemies ever boarded this ship, we would know exactly where they were."

Maelos looked up at D-Nav with an expression which said _'you think there will be a battle?'_.

D-Nav did not answer but turned right into corridor B01. Maelos followed after, having to take long strides to keep up with the tall Healer.

Minutes later, corridor B01 ended with another circular door. The Rita Missatic was in full gear as sky blue symbols flashed across the door and around its edge. Above the door was a Luminoth phrase that seemed permanent, and Maelos assumed it to be the room's title.

"This is the Patient Holding Room. Sonilla is inside," said D-Nav.

"How is she?" asked Maelos.

"I last attended her 3 hours ago, but by reading these statistics, I can tell you that she is awake and healthy," replied the Healer.

"You mean," Maelos pointed at the writing on the door, "that the Rita Missatic is telling you about Sonilla while she's inside that room?"

"Yes," D-Nav said, "she is awake, but it seems she had been crying because her seratonin levels have fallen. I can personally tell you, as Senior Healer, that she will be physically healthier than any human in the galaxy, with the exception of Samus, blessed is her name."

"What did you do to her?" asked Maelos, half in horror, half in amazement.

"Several of her organs were eaten by the poison. We reconstructed many of them and infused her with special antibodies to help them grow and function. These antibodies now make her immune to nearly all of your human diseases. Most likely, she will never be sick again in her natural life. Emotionally though, she will be, is, traumatized."

"Where is Samus?" Maelos asked.

"I do not know. The Savior should be--" D-Nav was cut off.

"I told you not to say that!" came a voice.

Maelos turned and saw Samus coming down the corridor. She was clad in full armor, and her boots clicked on the metal floor. When she reached them, D-Nav bowed, and Maelos could have sworn the sentinel grinned.

"My name is not blessed! I am not a savior!" Samus snarled at him.

Everytime a Luminoth greeted her, it was with a bow, Her name was always mentioned with a blessing; she was referred to as "the Savior", and it infuriated her to no end.

And it was not out of humility or modesty, not even because of true annoyance. She feared these titles, and she feared them because they made her aware of how much she was admired. That admiration made her responsible, not only for her past actions but for whatever she might do later in life. She feared letting them down. And if she let the Luminoth down, the Chozo would surely be shamed as well.

"You will always be honored by the Luminoth," D-Nav said. It was a statement and nothing more.

Samus's suit remained motionless, but Maelos could just envision her bristling beneath it. He stepped back, afraid that Samus might lose her temper and attack D-Nav, but the Hunter controlled herself, even though her next words were strained.

"May we go in?"

"Yes. Please remove your helmet and go first. Maelos, go next, " D-Nav said. He put his long-fingered hand on the door's control panel, and it opened for them.

Light flooded through the doorway, casting long shadows on the opposite wall. Sonilla sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed, clutching a pillow. She looked at them with tear-stained, apathetic eyes.

Pity and fear ripped through Maelos when he saw those eyes. Those eyes...

_She has lost herself, _Samus thought. The hope and drive to bring about righteousness, the strength she had possessed, they all were gone. What sat before them was Sonilla's body, but it was a shell, a shadow of the vibrant innocent they had known.

"Samus...Maelos..." Sonilla whispered, her mouth hidden by the pillow.

Slowly turning to face them, she regarded D-Nav with mild interest, as if he truly were just a moth. She placed the pillow at her side, and looked again at her human companions. Her mouth opened and then she choked on words that wouldn't come out. Maelos went to her.

"It's okay, Sonilla. We're here now," he said softly.

She reached for him and pulled him onto the bed, then she leaned on his shoulder and silently wept.

Samus stood still, not knowing how to react. Her normal reaction at such weakness would have been to let loose her sharp tongue, and possibly the back of her hand, but this was Sonilla, a woman that she had taken under her protection. This was her responsibly, but Maelos was the one comforting her.

Samus knew anguish; she knew pain and loss. _But I had a hard enough time comforting myself, _she told herself. _Maelos can do a better job, _she reasoned, but, still, that left her feeling useless.

"My blessed Samus," D-Nav whispered from behind, "Y-Cah requests your presence at ramp C."

Samus took the invitation and left the room. Sonilla and Maelos did not notice.

She marched down the hall, putting her helmet back on. The helmet clicked into place, and she felt safe again, away from the other orphan's agony. She was not a comforter, nor was she a healer. Meeting with U-Mos's herald was a better place for her, and she felt relieved.

On the walls beside her, a message rushed by. Her footfalls went click-clack on the titanium. She noticed for the first time that there was a steady hum permeating the halls. As a bounty hunter, she recognized the ship A-Kul to be the most impressive she had ever encountered. As a student of the enlightened, she recognized that the ship was inhaling and exhaling; the ship was alive.

She found Y-Cah on ramp C. He led her down the open ramp and outside into the clearing around the ship. They walked to the edge of the forest in silence and then stopped. Y-Cah settled himself onto a fallen tree trunk. Samus remained standing and looked back at the ship. Out of curiosity, she switched to the Echo Visor.

"Do you enjoy the visor we gave you?" Y-Cah asked politely.

"Yeah," Samus replied. She finished looking and then answered more formally, "yes. It is an interesting perspective."

"Many of our kind live within that perspective," Y-Cah commented, "when our conversation is finished, I will introduce you to one."

He motioned to the empty space on the trunk besides him, and Samus sat down next to the Luminoth. The sky above them was blue, and the trees sheltered them from the afternoon sun.

"What I have to tell you is of the utmost importance. Some of it is about the Luminoth, some of it is about the war at hand, and some of it pertains to you personally. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good then, I will start," Y-Cah said. He drew in a large breath and then began.

"After you destroyed Dark Aether and left our planet, we, the Luminoth, began the reconstruction of our planet. My parents were among the many Luminoth who perished in the war, and when I awoke from static sleep, my uncle, U-Mos, took me into his home. Under my uncle's instruction, we have reclaimed Sanctuary from the rogue robots. In the last eight years, we have begun to cultivate parts of Agon and have drained the Torvus temple. Things were going very well until one night when U-Mos detected a disturbance in the galaxy."

"There have been galactic wars before, and there has been genocide. Since leaving the stars for Aether, we have witnessed several of these, in times before and after the Federation was established. And everytime, we, the Luminoth, have remained silent. We did not raise a finger for either side. But after you saved us, we realized that even the enlightened can become arrogant. We are a blessed race, and we cannot allow the evils of the galaxy to devour the light. Also, because of you, Samus the Warrior, we are indebted to the human and Chozo races. And with this new enlightenment, we took up arms."

He gesticulated towards the A-Kul and continued.

"Nine battleships like this one are now mobilized. Collectively, we have responded to distress signals from 14 different planets, and on 12 of them we found complete ruin. The Space Pirates have spread Phazon corruption to all 14. On the other two, we found and engaged the enemy. Both times we have been victorious, but the loss was still unimaginable. And this, my Samus, has all been within the last two days. The Federation has given Medici Emergency Executive Control, and he has fed the galaxy lies about the war, saying that he is fighting the Space Pirates, who are controlled by you."

Samus was not surprised by this, but a heat rose up in her body.

"My ship last responded to a call from Tediw, a small planet mostly populated by the Levat-Human hybrids. The entire planet had been ravaged."

He paused and bowed his head in respect for the dead.

"When your ship is repaired, you may go wherever you wish, whether you wish to fight in or flee this war. But you have told me about your hopes to rescue your comrades and avenge your martyr, and I suppose you will pursue that course. I will say this though, the only way to end this war quickly will be to cut off the head of this monster."

"I have said many things. Do you have any questions?" he asked.

Samus was still digesting all that he had told her, but she did have a question.

"Do you know where the head is?" she asked.

"Not yet, but our best Searchers are working to find it," he answered.

"To pursue that course," Samus thought out loud, "I must find Medici and his commanders. If they have not killed Devajor or Geros yet, then they will have them detained nearby for interrogation. And to avenge Torim, I must kill Medici. So, I will stay with you until he is located."

"That is wise, but we shall plan later, I have one last thing to say before I release you from my company," Y-Cah said.

"My uncle has been meditating, searching the Cosmos for secrets and answers to this war. When he detected your presence here and sent me to you, he charged me with a message. It is this-- take hope Samus, last of the Chozo Warriors. The stars have given me hope, a hope to share with you. Samus, the Chozo are not dead."

There was silence after Y-Cah finished. The Chozo bio-suit didn't move, but a he heard Samus inhale sharply.

"I will not deny that I had expected this," she said after she regained her self, "the Chozo just vanished, and I know from experience that whole planets do not just disappear. My life has already been mapped out in prophecies I haven't heard or don't understand, and I've met enough wisemen to realize that one would eventually tell me what happened."

"What you have said shows that you indeed have grown wise in your travels; it also displays great hope," Y-Cah said thoughtfully.

Samus didn't respond and waited for him to continue. The Luminoth sighed and repositioned himself on the log. He peered up at the sky, saw it was late afternoon, nodded, and then continued.

"Few races ever achieve enlightenment. I could sing the praises of the Chozo for years and still not raech the end of such a list. It is enough for you to know that the Chozo are the first to ever reach enlightenment. They are the most ancient, the most powerful and wise. They, like the Luminoth, were born of the stars but left that metaphysical form for a body--"

"But why?" Samus interrupted. "I don't understand why you would leave the stars for this!"

Y-Cah smiled at the Hunter as a teacher smiles at a curious pupil.

"The physical realm is the gateway to the beyond. Those who are born in the stars live a life there, gathering in all the lore of the Cosmos until they achieve absolute knowledge. When such beings reach that knowledge, they then understand that there is an final dimension, a realm of true being. To get there, they must be born again as physical beings. Here, in this dimension they must reach enlightenment, and, when they do, the door to that dimension will be opened. My dear Savior Samus, the universe is not a single layer of matter; it is a weaving of thousands of levels of existence. When one becomes enlightened and leaves this form of existence, they transcend this weaving and become part of the Cosmos themselves."

"And," Samus said slowly, "you're telling me that the Chozo have done this? That they transcended life as I, we, know it?"

"Yes," answered Y-Cah.

"That's what happened to them? They disappeared into the fabric of existence?"

"Yes."

"And what about the planet Creto?" she questioned.

"Creto was not destroyed. It was moved."

"Where? How?" Samus was nearly shouting.

"Some of the Chozo were not ready to abandon their physical form, so the Grand Council used their powers to move the planet to a place where the layers are wearing thin, where those that stayed behind could still interact with those that had gone ahead," Y-Cah said. "Do you understand the prophecy of Leniox now?"

"I think I might," Samus said, "but where is---"

She was cut short by a shout from the A-Kul.

"Herald Y-Cah! Blessed Samus! Come inside! We are receiving an urgent message from Aether!"

"Come now, we shall speak again later," Y-Cah said and rose.

They went back to the ship, Samus having to take three strides for his every one. The sun was at the top of the trees now. It sent red rays that blanketed the entire forest in crimson.

Y-Cah led her to the Control Room where several Luminoth were waiting. The Senior Reader beckoned them to the Control Panel and a message that was displayed on a screen. Y-Cah read it and then turned to his comrades.

"Ready the ship for take-off," he commanded, "I must see the Savior to her friends."

He led Samus out of the room and down corridor B03.

"What's going on?" demanded Samus.

"We have received a distress message from Laidra; they are under attack from Space Pirates. We are going to their aid. Also, several reconnaissance units have reported to Aether about a severely high concentrationt of GF in the Temport Sector. They believe that Medici may be operating from there," he said.

"When will we reach Laidra?" Samus asked.

"In 5 hours," said the Luminoth.

"But Creto told me that any civilization was over 50 hours away," Samus said in disbelief.

"Your computer is correct; Laidra is not considered civilized. It is populated by the alien species Gnegnis. They are a peaceful, primitive species that Medici would not hesitate to wipe-out. Now, you must minister to your friends while I oversee the take-off," he told her.

"Where is my ship?" Samus asked.

"In the holding bay of this ship, being repaired by our finest craftsmen," Y-Cah replied.

They had reached the Patient Holding Room. Y-Cah left her, and Samus entered the room to find Maelos sitting in the chair besides the bed as Sonilla slept soundly.

"How is she?" Samus asked quietly.

"She's really troubled, but I managed to calm her down after you left. We talked about," he swallowed hard, "about, that night. Then D-Nav gave her a sleeping potion, and she's been out since."

"We're going to Laidra," Samus told him.

"Laidra?" he raised his eyebrows, "there's nothing there but the Gnegnis..." he trailed off as he realized what that meant.

"There will be _absolutely nothing_ when we get there," Samus sighed.

"Sonilla was worried about where her ring went," said Maelos while Samus pulled up a chair, "but D-Nav had it. She calmed down a lot when he gave it back to her."

Samus sat down next to Maelos. She glanced at Sonilla. The girl was asleep, her arms clutching a pillow. Samus could just see a sliver of silver on her finger.

"That's good," she said.

Suddenly, she felt the ship take in a deep breath. It rumbled and let out a grunt as it lifted off the ground. _Here we go, _she thought, _back to the battle._


	13. The Fallout

_Alright, here is this chapter. I know this took forever, but I was incredibly busy and I even had to hurry to get this to you now. So please, review about an inconsistencies or rough spots. _

Chapter 13: The Fallout

The Luminoth Training Hall was full of noise as Samus fired a dozen blasts from her arm cannon. Twelve targets fell over, smoking. Maelos took Samus's beam gun in both hands and fired at his set of targets, but only four were hit.

"Here," Samus said. She took the gun in her left hand and showed him how to aim properly, "use both eyes, right down the barrel."

Maelos took it back, but Samus quickly stopped him.

"No! Don't hold it so gingerly," she told him for the fourth time," don't be afraid of it."

"But...!" Maelos exclaimed futilely. They'd been shooting for almost an hour now, and she had him thoroughly frustrated. He was trying; he wanted to fight like she did, but at the same time how could he make her see? He was afraid of the gun, afraid of its power and of the fact that he may soon have to use it. _Am I weak for that?_ he asked himself. He hoped that his fear didn't make him weak, but Samus wouldn't understand his fear. She was a killer, simple as that, and he was not.

"Arrgghh!" he growled and did as Samus had showed him.

The targets had automatically been replaced, and he unleashed a round on them. This time, he dropped seven. Somehow, his anger had made it easier. _Is this how she feels?_

"Better," she said under her breath. She too was frustrated. "We've got another four hours before we reach Lairda. We should get some rest and something to eat before then."

"Really?" Maelos asked with barely detectable resentment. He put the gun in the holster Samus had given him.

"Yes, we both need to be ready," she said.

She turned to leave, but Maelos sighed and looked out at the other Luminoth who were practicing. Some were target practicing too, but others were sparring with wooden bows or practicing their defense with a shield against an automated attacker. They were preparing outside in the hallway too. The Training Hall was adjacent to the Outfitting Room, where the Warriors were dressing for battle.

"Coming?" asked Samus.

Maelos grunted and followed her out. For the first time he could remember, he felt angry with her. She just couldn't understand him. Couldn't comprehend how he felt, with Sonilla in turmoil and not knowing if Geros and Devajor were alive. _She's a bounty hunter, _he thought as they walked out into the hallway. There was an elaborate arch to his right. He felt the openness of it and turned to look while thinking, _no. I know her better then that!_

The arch was a window to the Outfitting Room, a colossal hall that was as high as it was deep. Inside, Samus and Maelos could see the hundred or so Warriors readying themselves. Luminoth of all callings streamed in and out of the hall. Activity was everywhere. Armor was latched, blades were sharpened, shields were tuned, and faces were stoic.

Maelos's anger melted away, and he stared at the busy sentinels with a feeling of approaching doom. He didn't see the Luminoth Warrior emerge from the door on his left. The Warrior turned, his bladed cobalt staff, which was propped on his shoulder, turning with him.

Maelos was jerked back by three long fingers. He came out of his daze and saw that a Luminoth had pulled him back, but something was dreadfully wrong with this one. It wore a strange black apparatus over its eyes, two wires coming from it. One went over its forehead and entered the back of its head, while the other twisted down its left arm and attached to a band on its wrist. He reeled back in surprise, and the Luminoth released him.

"You must be more careful, Ambassador," it said.

"Maelos?" Samus had turned around and realized what happened, "are you okay?"

"My good Ambassador," said the Warrior who had almost hit him, "have I harmed you? I am so sorry."

"I'm okay," Maelos said. All of this had happened so quickly. He had been thinking and then saw the hall... and something pulled him back, this Luminoth with weird black glasses...

"Continue, H-Sio," said the Luminoth who had saved Maelos, "I will minister to him. We need you ready for battle."

H-Sio did as he was told, and Maelos felt his arm being gripped again as the Luminoth led him and Samus out of the crowded corridor. Maelos looked up at the creature, as it led him down the hallway. As of that moment, he had yet to discover anyway of differing between the sexes, and he wondered if this one was male or female. _And what is it wearing?_

They stopped in front of a door on the left side of corridor C03.

"Blessed Samus and Ambassador Maelos, I am G-Ire," bowed the Luminoth.

"Well met," said Samus, "and thanks for covering for me back there."

"Yeah, ah, thanks," said Maelos timidly.

"Would you mind joining me in my chamber? I have been meaning to speak with you both for quite some time now," asked G-Ire.

"Sure," said Maelos. G-Ire opened the door and entered. As Samus walked in next, Maelos opened his mouth to whisper a question when she cut him off.

"-female. Echo Visor," Samus said with a grin at his dumbfounded look.

"I knew that," said Maelos.

They entered G-Ire's quarters, which were much different from their human ones. The room was absolutely dark, and it was several seconds before G-Ire turned the lights on. There was no bed. In its place was a hollow, cocoon-like structure that hung from the ceiling in the far corner. A closet of carved stone was positioned in the other corner. There was a table (much larger and higher up than the one in Maelos's room), against a wall, that was covered in strange silver and red instruments. Two wooden chairs were stationed against the opposite wall, which was alive with messages because of the Rita Missatic. These too were built for Luminoth and too high for either of the humans.

"I would say to make yourselves at home, but I doubt my things would accommodate you. We will not be in here long anyway," said G-Ire.

Samus eyed the table and its instruments, but Maelos could not keep his eyes from G-Ire and her Echo Visor.

"You wonder of my visor?" said G-Ire as she went to the closet.

Maelos didn't answer even though he knew the question was for him.

"I may not see as you do, Maelos, but I can see many more things then any human can," G-Ire said to his silence.

She opened the closet. Without a moment's search, she pulled out a crisp tuxedo and a small box. She closed the closet and went to Maelos.

"This is yours," she gave him the tuxedo, "I was charged with its safe return."

She presented Samus the box, cube-shaped and made of cobalt metal. Samus opened it. Inside was a miniscule microdisk.

"That, my blessed Samus, is an upgrade for your Echo Visor. All of our visors have been equipped with it, and we now give it to you. The upgrade will improve the Echo Visor's precision and detail. It will also detect variations in radiation and heat. I helped to develop it, and if you ever have questions, come see me."

G-Ire paused, as if considering what to say, then addressed them both.

"I have other things for you, but now is not the time for those gifts. They will only be distractions to you."

She sighed and then said, "go. If you hurry, you may still be able to find some supper in the Service Hall."

Samus observed G-Ire for several seconds then said, "thank you, G-Ire. We will come see you again soon."

Maelos bowed and said politely, "you are very generous. Thank you."

D-Nav turned on the lamp at Sonilla's bedside. The light flooded onto Sonilla's face, but her eyes did not even flutter. The sleeping potion he had given her was in full effect. The Senior Healer leaned over and inserted an IV into his patient's hand and hung the bag of fluids on a stand by the bed. He had tried to feed Sonilla after Samus had left to see Y-Cah, but the girl had still been too shaken to keep anything down. _Hopefully, when she wakes in 8 hours, we will be gone from Lairda, and her friends will be able to talk to her more. What she needs is fellowship, something to take the sting from her depression._

Thirty minutes before they would reach Lairda, Samus was in her room alone. She sat deep in thought. The room was black except for the light from her helmet.

She had been sitting there for nearly an hour now, letting her mind go wherever it wished. She thought of Creto, her Chozo parents, her biological parents...and these things led her to darker thoughts-Space Pirates and metroids, her missions, death, and killing. /This entire train of thought had started with her just mulling over what Y-Cah had told her. She had let her mind wander, and it had come full-circle and brought her back to this moment. It had not given her answers or appeased her longings in anyway. _How pointless that was, _she thought. But had not the enlightened become enlightened by pondering mysteries? Could she not remember dozens of times from her childhood where she had seen Chozo be still and silent for hours just mediating?

Samus shook her head and leaned forward in her chair, elbows on her knees. _How am I going to survive this one?_

A Rita Missatic message flashed on her wall. It read- _'All Warriors and the Savior Samus, report to ramp E immediately.'_

Samus had been waiting for this call. Solemnly rising, she left her room and headed to ramp E.

Y-Cah and a fierce looking Luminoth Warrior were waiting for her there. Y-Cah introduced the Warrior as T-Pui, a female who was the ship's champion.

"I am honored," said T-Pui with a bow.

"Our sensors," Y-Cah said, "have detected nothing more then the wake of the pirate ships. We are too late to engage them, but we can still mount a search and rescue operation. We will land the A-Kul in Lairda's sector 8, where the radiation is smallest. If there are survivors, it will be there."

There was a slight pause as T-Pui nodded her head in approval of the plan. To Samus, she appeared to be a fierce but taciturn creature. Then Y-Cah spoke to Samus.

"I do not pretend to have any true authority over you, Savior Samus," he said, "but I do ask that while you remain here that you cooperate and assist T-Pui and the other Warriors as best you can. Your combat and strategical skills will be needed very soon."

"Of course," answered Samus, wondering why her skills would be needed "soon".

"Good."

Only minutes later, the A-Kul shuddered as it touched down on the ground of Lairda. Samus stood with the other warriors on the ramp, lined up in perfect blocks that were ready to march at the first command. She had observed how quickly they had dressed and assembled, and she marveled at their efficiency. _Even at the GF Academy, no one was this fast and ready, or this well equipped, s_he thought as she studied the Luminoths' radiation suits. They were thin but covered even inch of skin on the Luminoths' bodies. The suits molded to their bodies and pulsed gently, as if their pulsing could dispel the impending evil.

And as she stood in their ranks, she felt that she was one of them. She had found a group of combatants she could trust and aid. Samus smiled and flexed her left arm in readiness.

But whatever fuzzy feelings she may have found in such a thing were lost when T-Pui ordered the ramp to be lowered.

The Gnegnis were a peaceful society but thought to be primitive and uncivilized by other societies. Plants fascinated them, especially the Brabew tree, whose roots grew up to twenty feet out of the ground. In their dedication to botany, the Gnegnis made their homes in the Brabew tree's roots. Their single spaceship had been a class R transport that had allowed they to indulge in the trade of Brabew fruit and seeds. Lairda may have been poor in the eyes of the galaxy, but its inhabitants were one of the few galactic communities to view themselves as fulfilled.

Now that world was gone.

Samus stepped off ramp E, her boots sinking into the now ashy and formally fertile soil. T-Pui, in her briefing, had said that it was night on Lairda, but Samus was certain that even if it had been high noon that Lairda would have been just as dark. The sky was blocked by a layer of smoke, and the planet's twin moons were just a pair of faint hazes behind a curtain.

The only true light was coming from her Chozo bio-suit. The Luminoth carried staffs that issued a pale, crystallized light, like that of the light beacons from Aether.

The Warriors were now splitting up into predetermined groups, calling out to any would-be survivors. Samus was free to go where and with whom she pleased, and, as always, she went alone, in the direction no one else was going.

She headed out northeast, where the Gnegnis had once cultivated long fields of exotic flowers. There was very little to see. Everything had been leveled, only brief and lonely pieces of stone and tree trunks poked out of the sea of destruction. She switched to her Thermal Visor. The visor was colorless until she glanced at the horizon and could see the heat of Phazon, several miles away. '_This sector was mainly a growing area for their plants',_ T-Pui had explained. And as such, the Pirates had not wasted their precious Phazon on flower fields, but had bombarded them with standard raid bombs.

Samus took in a deep breath to sigh and immediately regretted it. Even her Chozo suit's filters could not clean out the smell of death. It hung everywhere, like the smoke above her head. It smelt of burning wood and sap, flesh, blood, and radiation. It was like K-2L, no, it _was _K-2L.

A piece of fallen tree was now in her path. Samus turned back to her Combat Visor and made her way around it. She peered near the tree's broken roots and noticed that the ground there was not so black. She focused her helmet light on the ground and went closer, the deathly smell becoming stronger. There she found, to her great disgust, two skeletons. It was not _what _they were that disgusted her, it was _who _they were- a parent clutching an infant. Gnegnis were biped creatures with alien skulls. If one ignored the skulls, the two skeletons looked almost humanoid.

The Hunter did not know how to honor such victims, and she quickly walked away.

Two hours and four miles northeast passed by with no results. Every twenty minutes a Reader from the A-Kul would request an update via her HUD. And each time Samus said one word--nothing. Almost two hours into the search, she had been informed that one survivor had been found. The female Gnegnis had severe burns and a broken arm but would live. That announcement had brought excitement to all the searchers, but it had faded away.

"My Savior," the Reader's voice echoed in her helmet, "T-Pui requests that all units return to the ship immediately. Please check in with X-Sne when you return. Thank you."

The Luminoth voice ended, and silence again met Samus's ears. It was a brooding silence, as if Lairda was now a widow. She may have been silently mourning her dead, but her grief was broadcast to everyone on the planet.

Samus slowly complied. _It would be pointless for me to go back the exact same way, though, _she thought. She studied the map of what land she had already covered and headed south by southwest. She would go half a mile this way and then make a beeline to the ship. This way she could cover a solid wedge of T-Pui's search area; she had been assured that all the Luminoth Warriors would do the same.

One hour yielded only the same monotone blackness. Samus was constantly switching between her various visors, more out of habit than anything else. Climbing a small hill, Samus noticed something while using the Echo Visor. It was a phantom, an echo that was out of place, as if something had just moved quickly from the place in question. The Thermal Visor showed nothing new. She went to the X-Ray Visor.

The phantom was back. She could see it moving through the hill, retreating from the visor's range. Samus switched to the Combat Visor and crept up the hill.

She reached the top and paused. Her body was producing adrenaline, getting her ready for what was over this hill. _Finally, something. And something that is definitely alive!_

Samus jumped onto the hilltop, cannon ready. A blur to her right moved and leapt towards her. She turned to face it when several things happened simultaneously.

Her attacker, she realized, was not armed; the creature was coming to fight her with its teeth and nails. It was not a Gnegnis, and probably not an intelligent being. It was a monstrous canine, dark colored and shaggy furred. The creature was so tall, it could have easily rested its head on Samus's shoulder. Flying through the air, its mammoth jaw was opened, and its claws were extended. But Samus knew these weapons posed no danger to her. She decided not to kill it.

The beast hit her in the chest. She fell over as it crushed her to the ground, its teeth and claws glancing off her bio-suit. They rolled diagonally down the hill and crashed into a tree root. The great hound continued to bite at her in vain until she pushed it off and stood. Muscles flexed and ears flat against its head, her attacker circled her. She advanced towards it, and it gave a little ground before baring its teeth.

Samus advanced again, but this time the beast held its ground with a menacing growl. Samus stopped and scanned the beast. Her scan reported--_'Male Ulscaner, a canine native to Lairda. These creatures are valued for their loyalty, strength, and endurance. The Gnegnis (inhabitants of Lairda) have managed to domesticate most of the population. No alien abilities detected.'_

Samus digested this information quickly. She had no need to dispose of this ulscaner. It was not a threat, and if it was a domestic one then it may lead her to something.

She fired a round over the ulscaner's head. He jumped in surprise and sprinted west. Samus followed as closely as she could, but the beast outstrided her.

She put on the Echo Visor and followed the ulscaner's echoes. The beast led her to a wide stream, whose waters ran black with ruined lives. Without breaking stride, he vaulted over the stream and vanished into the darkness of the other shore.

"Samus to the A-Kul," said Samus into her helmet. she halted her pursuit several yards from the water's edge.

"Your Reader is ready, Savior. What have you found?" came a shimmering voice.

"I'm pursuing a male ulscaner, headed west. I need the nearest units to assist me because I think this thing is headed back to his owners. I'm sending my coordinates to you now. I'll report back when I catch him. End."

"It will be done," responded the Reader.

With the coordinates sent and assistance coming, Samus made ready to jump the stream. She crouched down, and then sprinted to the stream's edge. She jumped off the edge and screw-attacked over the black water. Her path was illuminated with swirling energy. Landing with a dull thud on the wet grass, Samus continued running.

She alternated between her visors, trying to find some sign of her prey in the moonless night. What she found was a yellow glow coming from behind a something up ahead.

Approaching as stealthily as possible, the Hunter closed in on the heat. She scanned the spot, the x-rayed it, and finally came back around to the Combat Visor.

There was a group of Gnegnis behind this slab of broken cement.

Samus turned her helmet's light up to full power and jumped around the rubble.

The light revealed a family of five, crowded behind a strong and muscular male. Despite his physical strength, the Gnegnis was afraid. To him, Samus, with her Chozo suit, looked like some ancient god coming to claim their souls. He spread himself in front of his family and half yelled, half wept in broken Common Tongue.

"Please...no harm! No hurt my wife...children. Please," his voice cracked, "no hurt. I anything do for you!"

Samus lowered her cannon to her side and extended her open palm.

"I am not going to hurt you," she said slowly, painfully aware of how cold her altered voice sounded. "No hurt, no harm."

The father did not let down his guard. His shouted something in his native language, and the ulscaner appeared at his side. And the great hound obeyed, leaping at Samus in final defense of his family.

Samus rolled beneath his lunge and shot at him with her Grapple Beam. The blue tendril wrapped itself around the creature's legs and brought him to the ground. A spine tingling howl came forth from the now captive animal as electricity shot through his body. The mother Gnegnis screamed in rage and tried to rush Samus. Her husband restrained her with difficulty and resigned himself to watch his servant's murder.

"Call off your dog!" Samus told him. "Tell him to stop! I am here to help you. To rescue you!"

The Gnegnis's face remained the same, and Samus wondered if he had understood her. _Where is a Luminoth Translator when you need one? _But comprehension suddenly dawned on the alien's face.

"Cuth!" he called the beast's name, "lepoith ip deceme!"

Samus flicked the Grapple beam and released Cuth. He stood and galloped to his master, ignoring Samus.

The Gnegnis lowered their defenses slightly, and the patriarch took a timid step to her. Samus let him advance, knowing his voluntary coming would be more beneficial then her going to him. And then a thought passed into her head, _what do I do now? _She doubted they could communicate effectively with one another. So how was she to convince them to come with her?

And as if on cue, a shimmer appeared behind her. She turned as the Gnegnis stood in awe of this new wonder, and saw a half dozen Luminoth coming. _Yes, _she thought in relief.

It took Samus and her assistance two hours to get the family back to the A-Kul. The Gnegnis took more to the Luminoth, but it still took a great deal of persuasion to lead them from their destroyed home.

Cuth came with them. His former hostility was replaced with curiosity of the Luminoth. He would prance around them in delight, his graceful body bouncing effortlessly. He seemed to create a game, of which he never tired, where he would run up and poke his victim with his nose, and then run away laughing. Samus soon bored of it, but the Luminoth permitted it with good grace.

Despite his defeat at Samus's hands, Cuth forgave her at his master's order. He did not play his game with her, but he did not shy away from her either.

They were greeted at the ship's entrance by the other searchers, Y-Cah, and Maelos. The Gnegnis were frightened at first by the many faces, but when Y-Cah greeted them with his gentle words they followed him inside. There they were presented to D-Nav and his staff, who ministered to them with food and medicine.

"Send word to Aether immediately," Y-Cah told the Senior Reader. "We need a Gnegnis translator ready. Prepare the ship for a feast! We must celebrate these lives that we have found!"

"Blessed Samus," Y-Cah caught her before she could disappear amid the throng of excited Luminoth, "I need you and Maelos to come with me."

"I'm here," said Maelos. Y-Cah and Samus turned to find the man standing behind them, waiting.

"Follow me," ordered Y-Cah.

The Herald led them away from the others, who were becoming industrious for the feast, into the belly of the ship.

"Our Readers have just received word from three other battleships in the Temport Sector," he said softly, "they have found Medici."

"Yes!" Maelos nearly shouted.

"Quiet, dear Ambassador!" Y-Cah said. "There is a problem."

"What is it?" asked Samus, who was managing to contain her impulses better then her friend.

"Our Sentinel, U-Mos, has authorized all units to precede with an attack, and a plan was being made, but then they moved. The B-Stl reported that nearly 60 percent of the stronghold's forces have left the sector and are headed to the Aret Sector--"

"Aret!—" began Maelos.

"—and now we're the only ones close enough to respond," finished Samus.

"Yes, my Savior," said Y-Cah. "Only ourselves and the three other ships are close enough to launch an attack before the troops are expected to return."

"So, we attack their base with our own smaller force now, and possibly take them by surprise, or wait and have a full scale assault," said Samus.

"Yes."

"What have you ordered?" she asked the Luminoth leader.

"I was going to ask you, my Savior," he replied. "With your abilities, we may have an advantage. And if we go ahead, the other five Luminoth battleships will cut off and engage the Federation forces in Aret."

_Why must I decide? _Samus asked herself, _must more blood be on my hands? _But she knew exactly how she would respond before Y-Cah had even asked her opinion.

"I say yes," she said.

"Then it will be so," Y-Cah bowed. "We will take-off immediately and rendezvous with the other ships at the Temport Sector in 17 hours."

"What about the feast?" asked Maelos.

"Let them have it," sighed Y-Cah. "The galaxy does not have enough celebrations, and this maybe the last one they ever have."

And with those words, the Luminoth parted company with them and went alone in silence to meditate on the future


	14. Saviors and Martyrs

_First and foremost, I apologize for the delay. This took far too long, and I will understand if any of you are a little ticked-off. I would like you to know that I worked very hard on this chapter (it's the longest one I've ever written), and that I hope you enjoy it. _

_I had wanted the actual battle to take place, but it just wouldn't fit in just one chapter. So, expect two more chapters._

_You've waited long enough. Go read. _

Chapter 14: Saviors and Martyrs  


"Take my hand little one," said D-Nav.

"I'm fine," said Sonilla.

She walked on uneasy legs around her room, D-Nav watching her anxiously. She had just awaken only minutes ago from her induced sleep. D-Nav had expected the effects of the drugged potion to wear off quickly but not this quickly. Sonilla showed such a determination to regain her functionality that he was shocked. This was not the apathetic, weak and defeated human he had witnessed only hours ago. Whatever Maelos had said to her, whatever relationship they shared had revived her.

He was tempted to ask her what had caused this revival, but he had seen such things before. It was just a single something that clicked within the mind. Someone said exactly what they had to hear and that allowed them to move on. _It is funny how the mind can work,_ he mused.

But his work and responsibility was the body as well, and he was afraid that Sonilla might be pushing it.

"You should move slower," he told her.

"Okay," Sonilla admitted.

She gently lowered herself into a chair and faced her Healer.

"I'm going too fast?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"But I've never felt this good before," Sonilla explained, "I feel like I could just start running and never stop. Like I could... just do anything."

"Well," said D-Nav. "we must practice then. Come, we will go visit your friends, slowly."

"What about the Gnegnis?" questioned the concerned Sonilla. She had slept through the rescue and resulting feast but had been informed when she awoke, "I thought you said you were going to see them?"

"You are correct, I said that, but Junior Healer K-Ler is competent. And he could use the practice until I get there. Having to think for oneself encourages personal growth and perception."

Sonilla appeared thoughtful and then agreed to this. They both rose, and D-Nav led her towards Maelos's quarters. As they were meticulously walking down the corridor, the Rita Missatic lit up beside them.

_'Miss Sonilla Torim and Senior Healer D-Nav, the Ambassador Maelos is asleep from the feast. Y-Cah requests that you do not disturb him. He suggests that you instead visit the blessed Savior Samus, for she does not sleep and could profit from company.'_

"I have forgotten," said D-Nav, "this is the hour of sleep on Aether. Most of my brothers and sisters will be in slumber, and no doubt Maelos exhausted himself at the celebration."

"Well, it said Samus wasn't asleep. Let's go see her," suggested Sonilla.

_Samus, blessed is her name, never sleeps. Especially when she has a war council to go to_, thought D-Nav. Outloud, he said, "okay."

Sonilla continued to amaze D-Nav. Her stamina and level of recovery after such a near-death experience was astounding. She marched boldly on, each pace stronger than the last. _Oh course,_ thought the Healer, _if Chozo blood can bless the Savior with so many things, why wouldn't my race's blood do the same? Does she realize how special she is now? _he wondered.

And yet, there was something wrong with the woman. D-Nav had not known Sonilla before her poisoning; he had never seen her innocent smile. But he could sense something was missing, something he had never known before was gone. His perception of his patients was as excellent as Samus's intuition.

They reached Samus's quarters, and D-Nav placed his hand on the opening panel. A message appeared--_seeking permission, please wait_. Samus had locked the doors, something the Luminoth rarely did. What was she doing in there?

Samus was sitting on her bed, clad in her bio-suit. She was trying to think clearly, the atmosphere of her power suit helping her gain control of her mind. When she heard the lock beep and saw a hologram of D-Nav and Sonilla outside her door, she seriously considered not answering. She wanted to be alone. War was coming--bravery, bloodshed, and brutality. Y-Cah was holding a council soon, and she needed a plan to present.

But she saw Sonilla. The poor girl had come all this way to see her. Samus had not spoken with her since the Unity Ball, that dark day several lifetimes away. Responsibility shoved its way into her mind, and she reluctantly rose to answer the door. _10 minutes, that's all they get!_

"We have come to visit, oh Savior," said D-Nav after the door slid back.

"Hello, Samus," said Sonilla.

That was the first thing Samus noticed. Sonilla looked her directly in the eye, and she said 'hello', not 'hi' or 'oh Samus!'. Never, in all of their dealings had Sonilla voluntarily met eyes with her.

"Greetings," said Samus, and she continued to search Sonilla.

Sonilla and D-Nav took a seat. Now that she was in the presence of someone old, someone from before, Sonilla felt anxious. Of what, she knew not. D-Nav and the Luminoth did not know her past, the love she had had and then lost. But Samus did, and that knowledge made her suddenly uneasy. _Don't ask me about it. Don't ask me about it! _Sonilla thought. The wound, which she had thought was healing up, had been ripped open again, and by nothing more than Samus's face. This woman was her protection, but the bounty hunter was also a link to her past, to her father's death. And as she sat down in Samus's room, a panic formed in her chest. She couldn't go back to the past; she couldn't talk about it, not yet. Her life was afraid of this panic that was threatening in her throat, afraid that Samus's questions would release that fear and undo all the progress it had forced her to make.

But Samus asked no questions of the past.

"How do you like the A-Kul?" she asked. It was a safe enough question.

The panic quelled itself and Sonilla found breath to reply.

"It's nice. D-Nav's shown me quite a bit of it now as we came this way. The walls fascinate me."

"Good. Have you eaten any real food yet?" asked Samus in a business-like way.

"No. D-Nav says I am too weak," she replied.

"Said, you were too weak," corrected D-Nav. "You are now perfectly capable of eating real food. Samus, she's made real progress."

The conversation continued on in the manner of a doctor's meeting. However uncomfortable such meetings may be for normal beings, those without war looming over their heads, the conversation's format was a relief to all. Neither Samus nor D-Nav wished to upset Sonilla, and Sonilla found the question and response style a simple way of easing back into life with Samus. Repressing the memory of her father's death had caused her to abandon Samus and Maelos and to cling to the Luminoth who had attended her, especially D-Nav. But that was not the way of her life. She was in Samus's protection and in Maelos's thoughts, and she had to become re-acquainted with them.

The time came when the wall besides Samus lit up. The Rita Missatic read-_'Savior Samus, Y-Cah has called his meeting in the Control Room. Please go and wake the Ambassador Maelos, for you both are invited.'_

The message disappeared and the three of them sat in silence. All around them, the ship was breathing. The hour of morning on Aether had come, for they had talked far into the early hours, and the Luminoth were awakening. Breathe in, breathe out.

"Well, I have to go," Samus said slowly.

They all rose and left the room. Outside it, they paused.

"I go this way," Samus pointed.

"And we must go that way," D-Nav pointed in the opposite direction.

"Good luck, Samus," Sonilla said, a hint of her former optimism flashing in her voice.

"War is a heavy burden to bear," D-Nav said, "but a true Warrior will bear that burden, for only can light prevail against the darkness."

Samus turned and walked away. Her mind was racing with the plan she had developed, but it also ran wild with Sonilla.

And those thoughts were unsettling. There was a shadow on her; Samus had seen it all too well. The scar of death, how it darkened the eyes and smile, how it suffocated out laughter. That was not the Sonilla she had last seen, nor was she the Sonilla she'd known from that lifetime before Torim's death. This Sonilla's eyes were darker, but they were not dark like Maelos's dark eyes. His were beautiful and thoughtful, like two reflective jet stones. They carried in them all the suffering of his life but also a hope that overpowered the sorrow.

Sonilla's eyes were tragic.

And Samus realized that Sonilla was now only trying to get better because her life demanded it of her. Her soul would not suffer her to perish; it commanded her to cling to sanity and existence and to push through the hopelessness.

Samus suddenly had a growth of respect for the younger woman. Only a true fighter would be brave enough, strong enough to battle back the darkness. _You did it once before_, her inner voice said. _Yes,_ she answered back, _but it took me years to find myself again, not days._

She had reached Maelos's door. She raised her hand to knock but the door opened before she could.

"Samus, come in!" came Maelos's voice.

She went in and there was Maelos. He was half dressed in his tuxedo, standing before his mirror with the rest of his tux in one hand and his Luminoth robe in the other.

"Okay, I know you're not the one to ask fashion advice from, but I'm really at a loss," he started right away. "Why am I invited to this Council in the first place? I mean, I'm no Warrior. Am I supposed to represent my race? Because then I think I should wear my tuxedo. But if I'm supposed to be a guest of the Luminoth, then shouldn't I honor their invitation by wearing the robe they gave me?"

"Good question," replied Samus.

She too was wondering why he had been invited. She had an idea though. _The Luminoth are leaving their mark on the Federation. They plan on winning this war, of course, and then putting Maelos in power. _She looked at Maelos as he stared at her, awaiting her advice. _Is he ready for such responsibility? It doesn't matter; the seeds have been planted already._

"Wear your tux," she advised him.

"Sure?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure."

She turned away and exited the room as he finished dressing. When he emerged and the doors closed behind him, Maelos took a deep breath, straightened his jacket, and set off with her for the Control Room.

After minutes of companionable silence, they reached the Control Room. There was no one going in or out, so they were either early or late. As she reached for the entry panel, Maelos spoke.

"I know what this means," he said in a low voice. "I said in my room that I didn't know why they'd invited me, but I was just fooling myself."

He met Samus's eyes.

"I know that the Luminoth plan to rebuild the Federation with me. Once I walk through that door…I no longer be the Ambassador."

_He is ready for this, _Samus thought. They entered Y-Cah's War Council.

For many hours, as the A-Kul carried the Luminoth closer to the Temport Sector and battle, Y-Cah held his War Council. The Herald, Samus, Maelos, T-Pui, G-Ire, H-Sio, and several other prominent Luminoth conversed with the leaders of the other two Luminoth battleships by way of 3D holograms. Seated in a great ring, the councilors would rise and address the entire group, after which their ideas would be scrutinized and/or rejected. Great debates raged and strategies were devoured in the deep of space. But in the end, the attack was set and all bets were taken.

Samus left the Council feeling exhausted, as if she had fought her way through an entire GF regiment. The Luminoth had further shown their respect and belief in her by giving her a squadron of Warriors to help her find her lost friends, Geros and Devajor. And after they were found, she would be free to depart from her squad and hunt Medici alone.

Maelos left feeling as if he had nearly drowned. He had been submerged in a world he did not know, and it had overwhelmed him. He had been given to the eyes of almost fifty of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, and each pair of eyes had been weighing and judging him and his actions. He was used to the politicians' game, but these creatures were not like the House. He had actually felt their wisdom and power observing him. After their scrutiny, Maelos now knew he could face anyone.

He also knew the game plan, and, in his limited knowledge, he approved. Secretly, he wished he could go with Samus to find his father and friend, but he was not naïve. He remembered the first conversation he had ever had with Samus. It had been about bounty hunting and all the reasons why Maelos could never do it. He was to stay with Sonilla on the battleship, away from the fray.

"It's a good plan, I think," he said as they reached his room.

Samus said nothing.

"We've got six hours until we reach Temport," he sighed and opened the door, "I'm taking a nap."

"I have things to do. Sleep well," Samus said and left.

There were 3 hours before they would reach Medici's stronghold, and all the Luminoth were busy with preparations. Samus could feel the weight of waiting in the air as she went into the holding bay of the A-Kul to find her ship. She had not seen it since the crash. Oh, and how it had frightened her when she had seen it so broken! Her ship, her life and her closest place to home. A place, the only place, where she could say her Chozo had been. She could remember the day Tubela had sent her away, could remember how her father, Kerune, had sat next to her in that very same Chozo huntership. If she had been forced to abandon it..._I would have lost another part of me._

The circular elevator finished its descent and locked into place, the center floor piece lighting up like an illuminated emerald. The automatic doors parted, and Samus was greeted into the massive, hollow stomach of the A-Kul. Titanium was the prevailing metal, lining all the walls. The Rita Missatic flashed messages and information across every one. Holograms opened and closed all over the busy cavern; they did so, seeming random, but they all had purposes. And all the while, hundreds of Luminoth, of all hues, were moving and conversing and going about their various ways of helping prepare for war.

Samus took a few steps into the room and stopped. This place was not dedicated solely to repairing space ships; in fact, she saw no ships at all. There were sections for the forging of armor, light and strong. Weapons were being manufactured, things like bladed staffs, energy shields, light beam cannons, and others Samus did not yet recognize. It seemed that the far right corner was used for the weaving of great tapestries and the hewing of statues. And as Samus tried to take in all of the activities, for she realized that she had stumbled upon the heart of the battleship, a Luminoth approached her.

It was difficult to hear him over the noise. Hundreds of shimmery, incomprehensible voices formed a high octave above the gong of metal instrutments and the hum of light energy.

"Blessed Samus," he bowed with one arm over his abdomen, "you give us great honor to have entrusted your huntership to us. Come, we have finished it, and we have been waiting patiently for your appraisal."

He motioned for her to follow, and then began to lead her through the crowd to another elevator.

Their trip was delayed though, for Samus was still wearing her gold and red bio-suit. Upon seeing her, all of the nearest Luminoth ceased their work and bowed. They bowed low and long, all professions and ranks. Some raised their arms to the ceiling, light pouring from their fingertips, and chanted in their native tongue. Others reached out for her as if she were a prophet who could heal their sickness. Still, others tried to talk to her, thanking her a thousands times over.

Samus tried her best to not be angry and to be understanding, but the constant battle through this throng, trying always to keep up with her guide, was disturbing. First her patience worked, but it did not last long. It gave way to irritation, and she was hard pressed to keep from yelling. Finally, though, she felt afraid. It seemed that this was the fulfillment of everything the Lumionth believed of her. She really was their Savior. They had absolute belief that she had and could save them. If she wanted, they would die for her.

_And isn't that what I've done? Didn't I tell Y-Cah what to do? Haven't I dragged them into this war because they felt obliged to help humans and the Chozo? I will be responsible for each and very one of their deaths, and they will die willingly._

How could they love her so much? Didn't they know about her past? Didn't they care about all the crimes and murders she had committed? And, again, her fear of letting them down, and thus the Chozo, filled her. She had never been so anxious and yet so afraid to go to battle.

They finally reached the far side of the A-Kul. A great, engraved arch like the one to the Outfitting Room separated the diverse hall from a ship hanger. Inside the hanger, dozens of sleek Luminoth combat ships were docked on both sides. The rows of dark silver ships continued for some time before they were broken by a bright orange vessel. Samus had difficulty restraining herself at the sight of her ship. It was so beautiful that she wished to embrace it and then immediately board it. Instead, she remained calm and slowly walked to it.

Three Luminoth came from around the ship, each one equipped with an utility belt full of alien tools. Her guide motioned to the ship, giving it back to her, and fell in with his colleagues. They stood at perfect attention as Samus slowly walked around her hunter-ship, inspecting it. Occasionally, she would stop and bend closer to attend to some minute detail. At such times, the four Luminoth Mechanics would take in a quiet breath and hold it until she was satisfied and continued. Samus stopped several times, pretending to be serious and judgmental, just to get that reaction; it amused her that they were waiting so fervently.

The craftsmanship was impeccable. Her ship looked as pristine and spotless as the day she had first seen it. And if the outside was any foreshadowing, then she expected the inside to be immaculate as well.

And immaculate it was. The nightmare she had found after the crash, a broken windshield and destroyed control panel, was completely erased. Comfort and relief filled Samus as the familiar lights and sounds swirled around her. Then, she remembered something else.

"Creto?" she called to the ceiling.

"Oh, my Lady," answered the ship's internal computer, "I have missed your voice."

Samus laughed, something she rarely did. It was a quiet laugh, as if she was afraid a full laugh was beyond her ability and could possibly blast her cockpit back to pieces.

"I've missed you too..." she sighed. Then, assuming her commanding air, the soft moment gone, she demanded, "all systems check?"

"Yes, Samus," replied Creto, "I supervised all the repairs and additions. All went well."

Suddenly, the control panel produced a hologram of the hunterhsip. The display rotated and moved in on the ship's belly.

"If you will direct your attention to the hologram display," began Creto, "I will tell you about the new Luminoth technology that was installed. You, of course, already know this, but Chozo technology works very well with Luminoth, and, if I may say so, I believe that in the course of a few decacycles, the Luminoth may almost equal the Chozo in weaponry."

"That's a large claim," said Samus.

"Yes, yes it is," answered Creto.

Samus peered at the hologram. Now stationary, it showed a slim, almost unpercievable cannon attached to the ship's bottom. Creto activated the display, and the cannon slid into the ship.

"This is the brand new light-dark energy burst. It's quite unique, I'd say," said Creto with some pride, as if it had had a hand (which it didn't have any) in the making of the weapon.

"Will you get on with it?" demanded Samus. "What does it do?"

"Simple, my Lady. The ship's shields have been upgraded to collect the energy of any hits we may take. The energy is relayed to the cannon, where it is converted into the appropriate amount of light or dark energy. The cannon must have at least 30 percent of either energy quality to be fired."

"Well, that may come in handy," Samus remarked with a nod of her head.

She went to the back of the room and exited the ship. Outside, she found her ship's healers waiting. She fixed each with her gaze and then addressed them as a group.

"I have appraised my ship," she said curtly.

A Luminoth's eyes are mere slits in their small, round head. For a none-Luminoth, understanding the fine body language of the moth bipeds was impossible. Samus, though, had been with the Luminoth long enough to understand the finer points of their antennae movement, which echoed that of their indiscernible eyes.

At her short statement, four pairs of antennae stood straight up with the tips slightly bent back. They were attentive and almost afraid to hear her comments.

"It is absolutely to my approval. It could not have been done any better had the Chozo themselves done it. My thanks to you."

The antennae relaxed and slowly drifted in opposite directions, the picture of relief and happiness.

After telling Samus about the expansions to her storage systems and confirming all that Creto had told her, the four Mechanics explained that she was now online with the Luminoth ships and could communicate with them as needed in the fight. They then left to assist their brothers and sisters in readying the other ships. Samus was left alone in the hanger with nothing but her ship and 2 1/2 hours to kill.

_Things always go so slowly when you get down to it, _she thought. She could recall countless stakeouts where she would wait for hours, doing nothing but twiddling her thumbs and obsessively counting metal studs in the wall. She reflected on it, _do I have a disorder? _Well, she only counted obsessively if she was bored, otherwise, she couldn't care less about he number of useless iron railings. _Maybe I don't have that one, but I'm pretty sure my job entitles me to at least one disorder. I just don't know what one it is yet, maybe I'm due for one later. Whatever._

Her casual musings about mental disorders suddenly struck her as humorous, especially when she was so close to possible death. But humor was a great way to keep from falling into the trap of continuously analyzing something, a pastime that only created stress. She had long ago developed her method for keeping her sanity, and it included making light of serious matters, or not thinking of them at all.

Without an announcement, a group of nearly fifty Luminoth Warriors, fully dressed for combat, made their way into the hanger. Each one bowed as they passed her and then went to their own ship. The final Warrior was H-Sio.

"Ready your ship, oh Savior, the battle begins soon. In half an hour, I will be transmitting a briefing," he said. He bowed again and went to his ship, which was opposite Samus's. His and her ships would be the first ones to leave.

Samus had learned from T-Pui at the council that the Second-in-Command, H-Sio, was the one to lead the air strike. Apparently, Luminoth battle briefings are transmitted from the Second-in-Command's ship to all of the ships in the hanger. The unified boardcasting system of the Luminoth force allowed for synchronized voice, data, and hologram display relaying. The briefing would take place while each pilot was strapped in, able to predict the needed adjustments to any systems and able to visualize the battle.

"Any questions?" asked H-Sio after he had finished his briefing. After a few minor questions, he said, "okay, everyone power up.

The hanger suddenly roared as every ship in the metal belly came to life. The sensational humming rippled out into the cavern and to the ears of all the Luminoth there. Upstairs, the vibrations were felt by Y-Cah in his Control Room, as he sat, ready to direct the action. On the other side of the A-Kul, Sonilla lifted her head and Maelos sat rigid, listening to the rumble. In a world all her own, G-Ire the blind smiled as the echoes came to her eyes, revealing the motion of a thousand turbines.

The time was now.

The hanger opened and H-Sio transmitted to Samus, "flank me left."

His silver bullet shot out of the A-Kul and into the vacuum of space. Her heart racing as fast as her accelerating huntership, Samus took her place at his left flank, and several other Luminoth fell in behind them. She was exuberant. This was her place, right her with these other Warriors.

"Everyone cloak...now," said H-Sio.

Before, the ships had been tiny specks in the starry void, but now they were invisible to both the eye and radar.

The space station was right in front of them. Its name was the "Valiancy". It had been built before the Federation was created by a monarchy ruled planet. Then, it had been called "Efrafa", after the king, and had been the gate into his realm. Recognizing it as a key stronghold for the wealthy exporting Temport Sector, the Federation bought and remodeled it. Not long after the purchase, the newly federalized government had been tested with attacks on all major space stations by the Space Pirates. The Valiancy had been the only station to survive the series, its fresh troopers becoming scarred veterans overnight. In their honor, the station had been renamed the "Valiancy". Samus knew the story quite well, as the Chozo had once sung for her a lament which had included the destroyed stations. She also knew how Medici had ordered the station rebuilt and custom equipped with all major prototypes only one year ago.

She could see the other battleships on the other side of the Valiancy, just a few miniature toys miles away. Each ship had its set of fighting wings, and each wing was only moments away from executing the coordinated attack.

"Samus, azure wing, follow me. U-BSI, K-Ilo, and R-Etv take your wings left. N-Voc, you are to cover us. Go!" came H-Sio again.

They were finally near enough. The fight began.

Ion cannons, quantum assault cannons stolen from the Space Pirates, dark energy blasts, and missiles of all makes zoomed past the unseen hunterships and hit the Luminoth shields. The A-Kul and her Warriors fired back, their fire power barely outmatching the Valiancy's. Sweeping in from all sides, the cloaked hunterships flew under the station's shields and reeked unseen havoc. Escape pods, ELF transmitters, gun turrets, and hanger entrances were all on their list of targets, and no one was holding back. The pieces of debris floated out into space like hopeless wanderers, knowing they were now doomed to a life of haphazard nothing.

On the other fronts, the B-Stl, J-Stl, C-Yah, and J-Fme were having similar luck. Their smaller counterparts were cutting off the station's circulation, and, now, they were going of the throat.

If space had not been a void, the sound of the two forces exchanging shots would have permeated the entire Sector, every squared astronomical unit of it. But the nature of space did not permit the sound of war to carry to the heartbroken.

The fight had been going on for several minutes when the Valiancy pulled out a trick. Its depleted fighting force had scrapped up some pilots and their ships were equipped with cloak-seeing technology A dogfight ensued.

The Federation close-range ships were neither as agile nor as powerful as their enlightened rivals, but they still came out strong. Three ganged up on the last member of U-Bji's wing, and the first Luminoth casualty was taken.

"Samus, we missed an escape at grid 81, cover me," came the voice of Samus's wingmate, L-Zix.

Pulling up, Samus swung back and scanned the area for any missed turrets or federation ships.

"Clear," she said.

L-Zix dove below a floating chunk of space station and targeted in on an escape pod exit.

"Federation at 3 and 7 o'clock!" Creto informed Samus.

Twisting her neck as far right as it could go, Samus could see the first ship coming at her. She barreled rolled away from its blasts and nailed it as it went flying by. She called out to L-Zix.

"Hold them off. I'm right there!" replied the Luminoth.

"Arggg," Samus growled, her wingmate's stubbornness both impressing and distressing her.

Samus wove left and right, not letting the ship behind her target L-Zix. The Federation pilot shot at her, and the Chozo ship was rocked around by the shots. Up ahead, L-Zix set off four missiles at the escape pod exit and destroyed it absolutely.

"Go down, I'm going around," she told Samus.

L-Zix peeled off to the left, and Samus put her thrusters in reverse and pulled up. The Fed followed her, thinking he'd gotten himself any easy kill, when L-Zix came from behind and reduced him to space junk.

"Good shot," Samus commented.

"Nice lead," L-Zix said.

Y-Cah ordered the energizing of the light-dark energy cannon. Mounted on the ship's top right, the cannon took aim and released its power. The combination of light and dark was too much for the shields of grids 34-78, and just like that a hole for maximum damage was created. The Herald was ruthless. He ordered the firing of every missile into the gap, and the northeast corner of the Valiancy was ripped open, forming a vacuum that sucked out it oxygen until the pressure gates sealed off the area.

But the Luminoth battleships were taking their bruises too. The J-Fme had been forced to retreat from the fray after a blast from an ion cannon fried its five main missile launchers. Thirty-two dead Warriors and four broken ships also gave witness to the battle. Suffering the most though, was the A-Kul. Y-Cah, the red passion swelling inside him, had pushed his way into the Valiancy's crosshairs, and, while doing much damage, the champion ship was hurting itself.

"Herald Y-Cah, all targets have been destroyed," reported a Reader in the A-Kul's Control Room.

"Alright, send out the word to board," the Herald commanded.

Battered and defeated, the Valiancy stood still as hunterships docked in its hangers and the battleships locked onto the station to board. Inside, the remaining troopers were preparing, falling back into the inner sanctions. Medici had fed them the story of he Valiancy many times, and they were prepared to give it another victory. Medici, himself, he strolled into his private quarters as Samus stepped into his stronghold and shut the door.

The galaxy was quiet, recharging itself after it had been ripped apart. Y-Cah and the other Luminoth leaders had each led their forces off of their respective ships. Each one went to fight on a different level of the station, and Samus took her squad to find Geros and Devajor.

But, ten minutes after they had left, and the battleships were docked and minimally manned, a blip on the radar was found.

"Space Pirates!" shouted the Senior Reader of the A-Kul.

"Release and engage!" ordered G-Ire, who had been left in command by Y-Cah.

In the Service Hall, Sonilla screamed as the ship shuddered and fell. The other Luminoth came to attention as the Rita Missatic flashed messages everywhere. Maelos took her by the arm as the ground shook and followed the Luminoth into the Control Room. Inside, the Lumionth were all standing solemnly, and the Gnegnis family was huddled together, comforting one another.

"What's happening?" he said, his voice sounding too quiet.

"We must stop the Space Pirates from entering the station," a near-by Luminoth informed him.

"Space Pirates?" Maelos repeated in disbelief.

"Oh no," Sonilla said at his side.

The other battleships disengaged from the Valiancy and flew out to meet and intercept the pirates. Coming towards them was a small fleet made of two cruisers, several transports, and even more gunships. The first battleship that they would reach was the A-Kul, and she was in bad shape after the first round of warfare.

The cruisers parted and closed in on the A-Kul as the gunships assisted the transports in finding a docking bay. The B-Stl and J-Fme were racing to stop the transports, but they were on the other side of the station.

One, two, three direct hits from each cruiser, and the A-Kul's shields fell. Lights, alarms rang out in the corridors, and the Luminoth in the Control Room cringed. G-Ire ordered a concentration of light-dark cannon blasts on the nearest cruiser. But it was futile. The cruisers had distracted them long enough to allow most of the transports to dock.

The other Luminoth battleships arrived, but there was only one undocked transport, and it was quickly decimated. The guns were then turned on the docked transports. There would be no escape for the pirates.

The final pirate cruiser put up a good fight, but two minutes of exchanging shots with a true battleship led to its defeat. Without the ability to explode, the cruiser's torn side emitted bursts of flames that stretched outwards until the vacuum of space sucked out their life.

"Scan the sector. I want to know that's the last of them," G-Ire said.

"There is nothing, Commander," answered the Readers.

The A-Kul limped back to the Valiancy space station. She had tried to intercept the pirates, but, like the shadows they were, they had sneaked past her and her ill-equipped crew. They had sent out a message to the fighters inside, but could not be sure if they had been heard. Now, there was only one thing to do--join the battle.

The four Luminoth battleships latched onto the station. As one, they equalized the pressure and opened the gates. The small crews that had been left behind for protection formed a decent regiment, and, now, all reinforcements would be needed.

"What are we doing?" asked Sonilla as she and Maelos were being dressed in Warrior garb. "I don't want this on! I can't fight!"

Tears were in her eyes, all the fear and pain she had overcome was suddenly upon her again.

"There is nothing I can do, little one," said the Luminoth who was dressing them. He placed each piece of cobalt armor on them with expert quickness. "We must go to our Warriors' aid, and you cannot be left behind."

"But what are we supposed to do?" questioned Maelos. "We'll die."

"If you should die, oh Ambassador," he replied, "then you shall be counted as martyrs."

He snapped the last section into place and stood up straight. He bowed to them, and then joined rank. G-Ire motioned to them, and they followed her over. As they went to her, Maelos saw the Gnegnis family in the ranks. They stood proudly, even the young ones held a blade. _They are willing to fight and die, _he realized; they had already lost everything.

"Maelos?" asked G-Ire, "do not worry about them. They are a mightier race then you know, and, we, Luminoth, shall sing of them when the time for songs comes. But, now, listen to me."

"I am blind, yes, but I know your faces must be full of fear. There is now nothing we can do except fight. We have done everything, but now you must march with me."

G-Ire was dressed in brilliant emerald Warrior armor. She raised her staff and shouted to her soldiers in Aetheric. They responded, their cries filling the docking bay with silver echoes.

They marched out swiftly and soon reached an elevator. It was a transport elevator, used for moving shipments and repair parts to the ships in the bay, and, with some strain, held the Luminoth regiment. They packed themselves into the elevator, each breathing quickly in anticipation.

"When those doors open," the Senior Reader was telling G-Ire, "we shall be only a corridor away from where the J-Fme's group should be."

He glanced at the hologram map he was carrying and began to explain to G-Ire and to show several other Warriors about the location of the troopers.

As for the humans, they stood on the brink of disaster. Everything became numb as they waited with the Luminoth in the elevator. Both Maelos and Sonilla understood that when those doors opened that Hell would ensue and death was highly probable.

The elevator rumbled under their weight as it neared the top. It shook and stopped, then it fell a few feet before stopping itself. The shock knocked Sonilla over, but Maelos caught her in his strong arms. The lights flickered.

"We're going to make it!" he told her as he helped her stand up.

"I don't know," said Sonilla sadly. She held his hand in hers and studied it carefully, "I don't want to be a martyr."

She paused and tears gathered in her eyes.

The elevator reached the top and began to lock in place. Maelos looked at Sonilla with compassion. Even in her sorrow she was beautiful. Without thinking, Maelos kissed her. A gentle but full first kiss that finally revealed his feelings for her in this time of absolute distress.

"I'm going to take care of you," he said as their lips parted.

"And I, you," she replied.

The doors opened.


	15. Death From Above

_Here it is, the big finale. I had so much fun writing this chapter, despite its difficulty to write. I hope you enjoy it._

_As a warning, this chapter contains more swearing then everything else I've ever written combined (which isn't much). I do not swear, nor do I encourage it. But, to stay loyal to my characters and their personalities, I felt it best to allow it._

_So, my readers, read on._

Chapter 15: Death From Above

Far away, back through dozens of corridors, came muffled sounds of battle. They were not like soft noise coming from near-by; they were like a roar that is dampened by distance, something that contained a suppressed volume. Close-by, the sound of careful footfalls on metal floors grew closer. They paused. Then, an orange helmet looked around the corner and retreated.

"Five guards," Samus told her score of Luminoth Warriors.

"Should we tranquilize them?" asked a male Lumionth named R-Saq.

"No," said Samus. She needed to convert them. The captain was Roscuro. _If I can just talk some sense to him, maybe he can help us._

"What do you command, Savior?" R-Saq asked.

"Swarm them. Take them alive."

She set her beam charge to stun and came around the corner. Her squad followed, shields raised to deflect the coming blasts.

The first trooper had his back to her. He turned around, screamed, and then was knocked over by a single shot. Roscuro shouted out commands and began to return fire. His three remaining soldiers surrounded him, and, together, they aimed at Samus. She rolled away from their fire and went behind the line of Lumionth shields.

The door the troopers had been guarding opened and reinforcements, some ten men, came out, but the Lumionth took no heed. Their shields, pulsing blue energy stretched over tall frames of white metal, absorbed the GF attacks. In half a minute, the troopers were surrounded by a circle of Luminoth.

Roscuro scanned the circle for weaknesses, found none, and ordered his group to cease fire. They hesitantly obeyed, looking at one another for some assurance.

"Who is in charge, and what do you want?" Roscuro asked the circle of alien faces. He was trying his best to look confident and in control.

"I am," said Samus. She came out from behind the shields and stepped inside the circle.

"Drop your weapons, now," she ordered.

Roscuro laid his assault rifle on the ground, and his soldiers followed his lead.

"Listen up," she began, "especially you, Captain Roscuro, and, if you listen well, you might live."

She took a step towards the GF troopers.

"Medici says I am leading the Space Pirates, but he lies. Do you see any Space Pirates with me? I've done nothing but kill pirates my entire life. These are Luminoth Warriors with me, the same ones who are fighting against the pirates on levels 2,3, and 4."

Samus and her squad had received word only ten minutes ago about the Space Pirate entrance. Luckily, none had come their way. Samus also knew that this meant Maelos and Sonilla were now in this mess somewhere. She could only hope that they were safe, _they are out of my hands now. _

"A well-informed captain like yourself must also know that Sonilla Torim and Maelos Tebral are on this station, in the company of the Lumionth. Now, one must wonder, why would I be on the same side as them if I killed the Chairman?"

It was all very sudden, the information Samus gave Roscuro, but she meant it to be. They had little time. He had seen the video feed of Tebral and Torim's daughter on level 5. But what did he think about it?

"So, what do you want me to do? Surrender? We already have," he said.

"I want you to release the prisoners and help us," Samus said.

"I am loyal to the Federation," he said.

"Bull shit," spat Samus, "your federation is dead. And you know that."

"I can't--" he began.

"Look," Samus interrupted, "I am going to get those people out of there, one way or another. Either you help us and save both your own life and those of your troops, or you stay loyal to a dead and corrupt cause and die with it. Your choice."

Roscuro gave a Samus a grave look, then dropped his head to think. He sighed. He had wondered from the beginning why Samus Aran, famed pirate killer, would join forces with her arch-enemies. It was so out of character, and he had not been the only one to wonder that. Medici, well, he had always given him a bad feeling. Yes, the Councilor was a suave politician and smart in his own way, but he had never struck Roscuro as a moral person, none of the Zenian Party had. Roscuro had strived his whole life to lead a moral code, one of loyalty and honesty. He believed the Samus before him; he bought everything she had said. But was it true? Was helping her the right thing to do? To forsake loyalty in favor of truth?

He looked back up at Samus and asked one last thing.

"Can I see the footage of Torim and Tebral fighting? If I see that, then I will help you."

Samus nodded.

Roscuro motioned to his nearest comrade, and the soldier turned and walked to the circle of shields. He paused, unsure if they were hostile, but the Luminoth let him pass, one of them breaking off to follow him. He went into the room to get the video.

What followed was several moments of stillness. Roscuro stared at the ground, hoping he had made the right decision while his troops stared at Samus and each came to his or her own conclusion.

The pair returned, the human carrying a video display. He opened it before his commander . The video feed had come from the helmet camera of a 2nd lieutenant on the 5th level. He had managed to send the footage to the all commanding officers before being impaled on a pirate scythe.

The camera was focused on a corridor entrance. Suddenly, Space Pirates attacked from each side, forcing the soldiers close together. Then a regiment of Lumionth appeared at the entrance. They rushed headfirst into the mass of pirates. In the monotone of long, slim bodies was a group of solid figures and two humaniod ones. The camera zoomed in on the humans, and the faces of Maelos and Sonilla, altered by their bio-suits, filled the screen. They were at the back of the fighting force, looking pale. A scream came from the right, and the lieutenant turned and zoomed out just in time to see the blazing eyes of a pirate. The camera tipped sideways, fell to the floor, and from there on displayed only a thousand armored feet.

Roscuro handed the display back to his soldier.

"Open the doors," he said.

Several of the nearest soldiers, ones who supported their captain, jumped up and quickly opened the doors. The Luminoth waited, and Roscuro ushered Samus in.

"You may, I--" Roscuro began to explain, as they were in the command room. Lights and computer screens with video feeds and statistics lined the narrow entryway. Not counting the electronics, the room was empty.

"--you can't hide war from me," Samus told him. She knew what the prisoner chamber would look like. "Let me in."

"It wasn't me," Roscuro said, "I even protested their treatment. I was only charged with guarding them..."

He faded out and opened the second door for her.

Dozens of political prisoners were held in individual caged cells of the stark cement room. Others were hung by the thumbs or, in the case of half a dozen tentacled aliens, other limbs. The right side of the room was full of fresh prisoners, ones who had only been in there for a day or less. Going around the room counterclockwise, the condition of the prisoners gradually became worse. The left side of the room seemed dedicated to torture. Nearly all of the beings were missing appendages, whimpering in pain, or strapped to a table, which was armed with gruesome, shiny instruments.

"Which ones shall I release for you?" Roscuro asked in a subdued voice.

He felt very ashamed of the room he had been guarding. At one time he had thought it was full of criminals, but now he knew otherwise. His moral code, his honor had been wounded.

Samus said nothing but walked slowly down the aisle, looking into each cell. Geros saw her first.

"Samus?" he spoke her name.

He did not hang from his thumbs as the prisoners surrounding him did, for he had no thumbs to be hanged by. He had no hands either. His face was sickly, and his eyes, even as they rested on Samus, were swimming. A leather strap attached to the wall was strapped around his bare torso and held him standing. He held out his carelessly bandaged stubs to the Hunter.

"Where is Maelos? How is my son?"

He did not say 'release me' or 'how did you get here', he asked for his son.

"He is safe. I'm getting you out of here," she said and motioned for Roscuro to let him out.

By now, the other prisoners were stirring. Some were in shock at her presence, while others called out to save them.

"Devajor Misba? Devajor?" she called out.

"Mr. Misba, is not in this room," said Roscuro, as he helped Geros to sit on the floor.

"Where is he then?"

"In the interrogation room," the captain nodded down the hall to an energy door, "he was to be given one more chance to disclose Mr. Tebral's location, and, if he refused, then he was to be executed."

"The-the-they kept asking us 'where is Tebral', 'where is the Hunter'," Geros stuttered to her, "but, but we said nothing. Not th-that we knew anything."

Samus walked to the door. The room was not too long, but the walk seemed to take far too long. She had no idea what she was going to find on the other side of that door. It reminded her of when she had broken into the GF Council Headquarters. The difference was that now she was going actually see Medici's cruelty.

The door opened, and she saw Devajor.

He was strapped to a chair, dressed in his tux, which was covered with sweat, blood, and filth. His shaved head bore the marks of several beatings, and when he raised his head to the open door, there was no smile on his face. He could not tell who had entered because his eyes were gone.

"You should just kill me now," he said, his voice trembling, "I have nothing to tell you."

"Devajor, it's Aideen," Samus said.

Devajor paused, not sure to trust what his eyes could not confirm.

"There was no Aideen; Geros told me it was the bounty hunter, Aran."

"Fine, he was right. I am Samus Aran," she said.

Devajor "looked" in the direction of her voice, and then started to shout.

"I don't believe you! Get out! Get out!"

Samus opened the compartment on her thigh and removed the syringe and sedative she had used on Lorie Moli.

"It really is me," she said, "and when you wake up, you will be safe."

He began to protest again, but then she stuck the needle in his arm. She lifted him up and carried him out of the room.

"How is he?" asked Roscuro when she came out of the interrogation room.

"Not good," she without stopping. The captain followed her. "I am leaving now. The Luminoth will take care of Mr. Tebral and Mr. Misba, but they will need your guidance to get back to the docks safely. It would be best for you to help them."

Roscuro helped Geros to his feet, ignored the shouts of dozens of prisoners, and followed her out.

"R-Saq," she called. He saluted her. "I am leaving. These are the ones we came for. Have the captain here see who else to take with us. And when they are secure, join Y-Cah and his group. Okay?"

"It will be done, oh Savior!" he bowed.

Samus gave Devajor to one of her Warriors and stepped out and away from everyone else. She checked her map, took her bearings, and, without another word, she ran down the corridor and into the Valiancy's maze.

After many turns and loops, she came to a fork in the road; one went up a flight of stairs, and the other turned right, staying on the same level. She checked her map again, confirmed it with Creto, and headed up to Medici's quarters.

* * *

"Fire!" shouted the Space Pirate Commander. 

He was an elite Commando, a survivor of the Aether mission. From that mission he had taken fierce experiences- the taste of death and the strategy of war. He had read the translated Luminoth lore and knew of their weapons. His horde was tried and grim with fatal resolve. The eyes of his army blazed with savagery and bloodlust. Neither he, nor his captains, nor any of his soldiers would stop until the force before them perished in flame and blood. 2nd Commander Nerok was well prepared.

But so were the Luminoth. Y-Cah was more than a learned and honored herald, he was a Warrior. He led the Warriors of the A-Kul, a body of almost a thousand strong. Under his command were his two lieutenants, T-Pui and H-Sio. They were the heart of the Luminoth force, the most senior group of fighters. Their authority was unquestioned, their might known and feared, and their calculated skills were revered by all they met on the battlefield.

If ever the battle between good and evil was to be personified, this was it.

And caught in the middle was the gray area, the Federation troops. Some had been defeated by the Luminoth already and lay dying. Others had surrendered, and, upon seeing the pirates, had deigned to fight alongside their captors. Those who were not dead or captured were at the mercy of Pirates Spaces, something that did not exist.

Thrown into the fray, Maelos and Sonilla stayed together at the back of the line with the healers, one of which was D-Nav.

"Do not fret, little one" he said soothingly to Sonilla during a lull in the fighting, "you are as safe as possible here with me."

"Yeah, if I get shot, at least I'll have a healer with me," she said, trying to make light of a grim situation.

At this particular time in the battle, the Luminoth had been pushed back slightly. The A-Kul's forces had taken up base in Main Hall number 4 of the Valiancy, a massive, deep circular room. Offshoots and tunnels led to other areas of the station, their openings making the battlefield even larger and more airy then it was.

Then, the pirates charged. The temporary peace was broken as the two sides again clashed. The pirates rushed in, forming a spearhead that drove into the right flank of the Luminoth force. Their ferocity reached a new level as they sought to drive the small bunch of Warriors into a near-by tunnel.

The Luminoth tried to protect their own, but the speed and malice of the pirates overwhelmed them. Into that tiny wedge the initial spearhead had created dove hundreds of more pirates who cut off the right flank and kept the others at bay.

Maelos, Sonilla, and D-Nav were part of the flank that was driven into the tunnel. It was dark, and they were stumbling over one another, trying desperately to run as fast as the fighters behind them. The shriek of their attackers, raspy and bone chilling, echoed off the close walls.

"Hold your ground!" shouted G-Ire.

The regiment leader could not hear anything. Her Echo Visor was nothing but confusion as the Space Pirates' battlecries interfered with her own echoes. Her officers gave her orders, and the Luminoth stopped retreating. They turned on the pirates with shields and staffs and beam guns. G-Ire struck out with her staff and halved a too eager pirate. She stood her ground, and a line of Luminoth formed across the tunnel with her in the middle. Valiant, they stood and met the enemy.

"Maelos!" Sonilla screamed in the semi-light, "Maelos!'

He found her and took her hand. Placing himself as a shield in front, he drew his gun and waited. Even the Healers had joined the line. D-Nav ran with them, and Sonilla tensed under Maelos's grip when he ran past.

"Take care of her," D-Nav called as he passed, "don't worry about me. Protect yourselves."

D-Nav rushed behind his kinsmen and organized the other Healers into a back-up line. They lifted themselves above the front-line and fired light energy beams over and into the Space Pirates.

The screams, the smell of searing flesh, and the rank of the reptilian creatures filled the tunnel until is was nearly suffocating. The lights were out, save for the emergency lights on the ceiling.

Fighting in the twilight, in the closed tunnel, was too much for Sonilla to deal with. A panic, claustrophobic and real, swelled in her, and she bolted away from the battle and down the dark passageway.

"Sonilla!" Maelos groped to find and stop her.

Then, reinforcements for the pirates came forward from outside the tunnel. They had a mounted missile cannon with them. The pirate captain, with several privates, propped it up and readied it to fire.

D-Nav had fought his way into the front ranks and found himself face-to-face with the beast. Without a second thought, the Senior Healer ran forward. He vaulted over dead bodies, picked up a Luminoth blade, and cut down the first pirate who tried to stop him. He slashed up, caught another in its jugular, and then pushed back the rest. Still some distance away, he sprung, yelling the Aetheric battlecry.

His long body stretched out the staff and knocked the cannon off balance. He landed before the cannon and looked up to find the captain cursing him. D-Nav tried to rise and fight some more, but all in a moment the cannon fired and the pirate captain stuck him with a scythe. So died D-Nav. By his sacrifice, his company lived and the battle was won.

The missile spiraled upward, black smoke trailing from its end. No one noticed the smoke, all was sound. The missile flew over the Luminoth forces and down the tunnel just behind them. It impacted the ceiling, and all was debris and chaos.

Metal beams, concrete, and dust fell on the fighters from both sides, blinding, choking, and crushing them. The attack was momentarily stopped as the two sides tried to stay together. Maelos was calling for Sonilla again, his efforts redoubled in the confusion, when a beam fell and collapsed him. He hit the ground, his left arm under him, and heard the bone snap. He had two thoughts--_why this arm _and_ I have to find Sonilla_-- before he blackouted.

Sonilla awoke in total darkness. _Am I back on the A-Kul?_

"D-Nav? Maelos?" she called timidly to the black.

A rasp responded, and Sonilla remembered that her suit had a helmet light. She turned it on and found a Space Pirate laying next to her. She jumped up and covered her mouth to stifle the scream. It writhed before her, dying. Sonilla could see the metal sticking from its abdomen. The fire in its eyes subsided, and Sonilla allowed herself to relax slightly.

She turned to the wall of concrete and metal behind her. What was she to do? _Oh no! _she thought. The fighting was still going on; she could hear it.

"Help! It's Sonilla!" she shouted.

She beat the wall with her fists and cut her knuckles. She tried desperately to move the pieces but couldn't. She was stranded with nothing but a dead pirate and an endless tunnel behind her. She tried to sit down and gather her thoughts, but the stiffening body was too frightening. She paced, her mind a blur. How could it be like this? with her so close and yet so far from everyone? Were they looking for her?

Finally, realizing she couldn't get back, Sonilla decided to go the other way. Every cell in her mind told her to stay put and wait for rescue, but she couldn't stay with the dead. Her inner voice was telling her that she had to go; she had to make her own escape.

The tunnel was long. She didn't know where it would lead but was determined to follow it straight to its end. It was quiet, and after the battle she had left, Sonilla couldn't decide whether it was a relief or unsettling.

There were doors and offshoots on both sides of the path she followed, but she remained on course. After five or so minutes she came to a place where the lights were on. The lights revealed a fork. One path went up while the other turned right. She had to pick one; she could not go straight.

_I'm on level 4 right now, right? So, going up will take me up towards the docks. Yeah, then I'll get on one of the ships and wait. Plus, there's a draft coming from this way, and I'm sick of this stale air._

She began the ascent.

* * *

Earlier that day, if space can have days, Medici had ordered Sharjak to take his entire force to destroy Aret. Soon after, he had ordered his GF forces to go to Aret and annihilate the pirates. He knew that nearly every combatant in the fight would die, but he was willing to do it; he had plenty of other Federation troops, and the pirates had outlived their welcome. But Sharjak had not left Ridley, led his army safely through starless voids, and wiped out planets for nothing. He knew very well what was happening. So, he had not gone to Aret, but had doubled back, leaving the Federation to be found and defeated by the Luminoth. He had come back to the Valiancy to complete the circle of treason--he wanted Medici. 

He was at Medici's personal quarters. He reared back and prepared to break down the door when Lorie Moli came out of the shadows shooting. She gave him a quick one-two and disappeared around him. Sharjak lashed out with his scythe and barely missed her. Spinning around, he faced her and shot with his beam gun. She staggered back and that provided him enough time to rush her.

Lorie Moli tried to keep her footing, but the bulky Commando was too much. Down on her back, she kicked and fired at his face, but it was nothing to the veteran. He stepped on her chest, took her head in one hand, and broke her neck The bio-suit she wore was nothing. It snapped like a twig.

Leaving her on the ground, he battered the alloy door in and cut away a chunk with his claws. Looking through the hole, Sharjak saw that Medici was gone. And then he heard footsteps coming up the stairway behind him. They were the sound of metal on metal. Someone, a soldier perhaps, was coming. Sharjak would have loved to have stayed and killed again, but he had to find his prey. He continued to enlarge his hole, and then climbed in.

Samus reached the top of the steps to find Lorie Moli's body. She bent forward, made sure she was dead, and passed by. She was only sorry it was a someone else who had gotten to her first, and it was probably a pirate by the claw marks on her armor. _I can't let someone else get Medici. _She jumped through the opening in the door.

Medici's room was the epitome of luxury, but Samus didn't have a moment to spare enjoying it. She ripped through the room, past the walls of priceless books and victorian furniture. In one of the room's many acloves, a door had been flung wide open. It was a secret passageway disguised as a life size painting of the first Galactic Council Chairman. Medici would never be so careless as to just leave his escape this obvious. Someone else was on his trail. She sprinted through the straight passeway and found herself in the northwest docking hanger. At the hanger's end was Sharjak, beating and roaring at a small speed cruiser.

The cruiser was designed for racing and had few defenses except its very walls and a tiny blaster for clearing out asteroids. Gavin Medici was inside, pressing buttons and trying to find the gun controls.

"Medici, you bastard!" snarled Sharjak, "come out a fight! I will get you out of there, you cowardly, yellow human!"

He cut the cruiser's hull with his scythes, and then fired at the windshield. It cracked, and then broke, leaving Medici unprotected. Sharjak dug into the ship with his claws and lifted himself up, level with Medici. He was saying something softly to the man when a super missile blew him off the ship and into the hanger wall.

Samus ran to the ship. She used her plasma beam to weld the doors shut and locked the dock by scanning the release control panel in front of the ship. Then she turned up to Medici.

"Stay there. I'll deal with you in just a minute."

She assumed a defensive position and looked where Sharjak had been thrown by the missile. It was empty. She switched to her Thermal Visor and searched for his signs. Revolving on the balls of her feet, she found him charging her left side.

Samus rolled around him and tied up his legs with her grapple beam. Sharjak cut the tendrils with his scythe and was back upon her in a heartbeat. He slashed left-right-down-jab in quick succession, and Samus backpedaled feriously to dodge the blows. Sharjak began the sequence a second time, and Samus lost her footing. As she fell, she started her flamethrower, and Sharjak screamed as his whole front was burnt.

Firing several missiles into the smoke, Samus rose and retreated. Soon there was plenty of space between her and her enemy. He was powerful and in a close-range battle could beat her. She needed distance to use her speed and full arsenal.

"Finally, I meet the Hunter in combat," Sharjak said, his face bleeding from the fresh burns, "and she has proved to be all my kinsmen have claimed. But you will not defeat me, nor will you take the traitor's life. He is mine."

"That's what you think," Samus said from behind her visor.

Locking in on his head, Samus circled and unleashed her firepower. The Annihilator Beam sent shockwaves through the hanger, filling the room with sonic feedback. Sharjak returned the fire, and his pirate missiles met the Luminoth blast in midair. Searing light blinded both of the combatants as the explosion threw them in opposite directions. The hanger shook, and the glass of all the remaining space ships shattered.

When the rumble subsided, Samus got to her feet. She felt like every atom in her body was shaking uncontrolablely. Fighting off a wave of nausea, she searched the room for her enemy. Sharjak was against the wall on the other side of the hanger, lifting himself off the floor with difficulty. She fired her Wave Beam and knocked him over. For one moment, Samus allowed herself to think she had won. But Sharjak jumped to his feet, let out a terrible roar, and vaulted onto the wall behind him.

Sharjak began to climb up a huge cement pipe that went up the wall and across the ceiling, electricity crackling along his body. Samus doubled her firing speed, but Sharjak was oblivious to the pain. Her adversary crept up the wall, gripping for purchase with only claws and determination. He was soon on the ceiling of the hanger, looking like some insect that needed to be swatted.

And then, his eyes burning, his mouth open to reveal rows of incisors, Sharjak pushed off from the pipe and plummeted down towards Samus.

She managed to shoot him several times with her missiles, but others missed him and soared into the cement pipe. As Sharjak reached her, death came from above. Samus struck the ground with the Space Commando sandwiched between her and the pipe. His burnt face was on her visor, staring eye-whited into hers. All around them, the ceiling fell and covered them in metal and cement dust.

Once again, time was against her. _'Alert! Low energy level! Suit's intgerity has been compromised. Rib casings 4,5, and 8 have been cracked. Internal wiring has shorted. Seek repair immediately._'

The message was accompanied by an electric shock through her spine. She groaned and tried to pushed herself out from under the mess of pirate and pipe. Trying with all her might, she squeezed herself away from Sharjak so that they are side-by-side. This caused the pipe to fall flat across them, and, as it did, Samus felt her bio-suit strain to keep its form. She knew that she had broken at least three ribs, already her suit was trying to stop the bleeding. She also knew that her suit was the only thing keeping her from a sure and crushing death, and she didn't know how long it would hold.

Samus was beginning to feel whosy. The suit was pumping medicine into her even as electricity was coursing through her body. And then into the fog came the sound of footsteps.

Samus painfully turned her head to see Medici walking towards her. She noticed the cut above his eye and the glass in his hair. He stopped and silently observed his enemies, one dead and the other severely wounded.

"So, here we are," stated Medici.

Samus struggled under the weight of the overturned pipe, but, as it did nothing but tire her more. She stopped. She tried to call Creto, and there was nothing but static and a _"disabled"_ message; she was alone. Samus couldn't move or hardly think as her suit was slowly being crushed.

Medici came and knelt besides her, a look of pleasure on his face.

"It looks like you're in quite a bit of trouble, but, while we're here, I think we should have a chat. So, let's see the Hunter," Medici said.

He reached forward and took off Samus's helmet. Her beautiful face was distorted in anger and desperation, her eyes shooting glares of hate.

"Oh," said Medici, "very pretty, yes, very pretty."

He smiled. It was a look of pure venom. The features of his face betraying him to his true thoughts. His eyes were black holes. Taking Samus's face in his hand, he forced her chin up so her eyes met his. She stared back at him defiantly.

"You really are a beauty," he said as he bent forward to kiss her.

"Never!" said Samus, her voice coming out like a harsh whisper. Forcing her face away from his, she caught his hand with her teeth and bit it to draw blood. Medici recoiled in surprise, and a cry of pain escaped him. _Good, let him feel pain, let him know how much he's hurt us!_

"Fine, don't take my parting gift," he said, gripping his wounded hand. He quickly slapped Samus and retreated from her biting range.

His blow threw Samus's head back violently and broke the skin on her left cheek. She groaned in pain and lifted her head up to focus her swirling eyes on Medici. She grimaced, and then spat at Medici. The saliva landed at his feet, tinged with crimson.

"The Devil will welcome you with open arms when you arrive in Hell!" she cursed him.

"Funny you should mention Hell," chuckled Medici, "because I think you'll get there first."

From the folds of his ripped jacket he took out a gun and a cartridge of shots. Samus stared at the pistol in his hand.

"Oh," said Medici, "yes, this is the same gun that shot your friend Tebral." He then grinned, "but you'll find that at this range it's much more accurate."

Samus looked at him in disbelief and enmity as he stood and slowly loaded the pistol. Everything she had worked for was about to come to a close; it was all going to end here, and she couldn't do anything about it. There was no escaping this time.

"I must thank you though, Aran," said Medici, "without you I wouldn't have had an enemy to protect the Federation from, or someone to dispose of my bagage," he motioned to Sharjak and down the hanger towards Lorie Moli. "And what glory it will be when they find out that I, Gavin Medici, defeated the infamous Samus Aran. The only one to survive her rampage, and the only one able to lead the galaxy through this tragedy."

He shook his head and looked directly at Samus, and Samus realized she as afraid, for the first time ever she was truely afraid of an enemy. And Medici scared her because he was without compassion. Did he care about his murdered mistress? No. Did he consider the millions, maybe billions he had killed so far? Did he stop at treason? He considered them all "bagage". He loved nothing except power. Medici wasn't human.

"But you know the truth," he straightened up and took the gun in both hands.

"May the truth die with you."

The words resounded in Samus's mind, over and over again. _May the truth die with you, may it die, the truth..._and then, _may the truth guide you, _the old Chozo blessing and guide.

She was going to die, and she didn't know what was beyond. Samus had long ago come to terms with her sins and did not fear them. Nor did she believe that whatever controled the universe would damn her for all of eternity. The truth, as the Chozo called it, was not like that. But she was still so afraid.

Then Samus thought about what Y-Cah had said. Perhaps if U-Mos was right, she would meet her family in the stars. _But do humans and the Chozo go to the same place after death? I was the last Chozo Warrior, and I failed them. Even if the two races do share the afterlife, would they want me? _The realization of her failure set in, but Samus replied to herself, _you will see them, and they will forgive you. _

Medici cocked the pistol, and Samus felt tears coming to her eyes. She couldn't end life like this and took a deep breath to calm herself. Thus, Samus Aran readied herself to die as Medici leveled the gun between her piercing blue eyes...

The shot rang out in the open room, echoing off the white walls and ships a dozen times before falling silent.

Samus could see. She felt no pain. She had expected a blackness, and then...something. Maybe her victims, maybe her father's face, maybe Tubela. But the world was still there.

Medici dropped his weapon and grabbed his chest. Suddenly, his shirt turned red as blood poured out of his body. He swayed and then fell on his face in front of Samus. Sonilla Torim stood behind him. Her breathing came in rasps as smoke rose from the gun she held with both hands. Her tear stained face was full of agony.

She didn't say a word, just lowered the gun to her side and started to weep.


	16. Love, Old and New

Chapter 16: Love, Old and New

Sonilla's black skirt billowed in the steady wind while she stood motionless. The coffin was before her, a graceful one made of polished cherrywood. Yes, the galaxy had been saved, and her hand had played a great part. But, before the living may continue to live, they must bury their dead.

A tear fell from her eye and was caught in the veil she wore. She made no move to stop her crying. Sonilla was the picture of the beautiful mourner daughter.

On Triya, the Torim's home planet, it was a funeral day. The sky was moody, and a constant wind swept the trees left and right. The sun, which had been so beautiful the day before, had given the weather over the clouds, who were better made to suit grief. The day was somber and melancholy, and all the people present were likewise.

Maelos was beside Sonilla, his broken left arm in a sling. He stood close to her, and when the minister began the final set of invocations, she let out a sigh and leaned against him. Maelos took her hand in his and held it close. He was there for her, for he knew the pain of losing a parent.

Samus was in a wheelchair on Maelos's other side, her torso bandaged and her face scarred. In the two days after the battle on the Valiancy, she had been living a life she was unaccustomed to living. She was dependent on others for her most basic needs, and she had been thrown into the mess of recreating the Federation. She felt so weak, and it bothered her to be babied so much. But, she would survive.

Stationed behind her was Geros. Immediately after his rescue, he had been fitted with two mechanical hands that were clothed in artificial skin. He had been so afraid that the loss of his hands would force him to choose another life style, but the new hands were more than accurate enough to let him continue to be a mechanic. In light of his rescue, Geros had become even more indebted and appreciative of Samus, and he had taken it upon himself to use his new hands to push her anywhere she wished.

Devajor had been in bad shape after his eyes had been gauged out by Medici's tormentors. Only Geros's reassurance and R-Saq's promise of sight had moved him to leave the interrogation room. After the battle had been won, he had met G-Ire, for she had survived the tunnel. There she had fitted him for an Echo Visor, and the former Ambassador for Aret became the first human, besides Samus, to be given an Echo Visor. Oh, how he had rejoiced in his regained sight.

But the sight of Torim's funeral was enough to humble the strongest heart, Samus being no exception. How could one honor such a martyr? What of all the others, such as D-Nav? They were honored in ways that the mortals cannot understand.

"...thus, we lay thee to rest, Joseph Torim, friend, father, Chairman, and martyr. May the beyond take you in, may the Lord keep thee, and may we, left here in sorrow, remember your life with joy. Amen."

A nod from the minister, and Sonilla stepped forward. She carefully took a white rose from the intricate bouquet on the casket. She placed a hand on the wood, feeling its coldness, and paused. This was her father. _I love you. I miss you._

She stepped back into Maelos's arm, and all the other mourners also took a flower. Several quiet, respectful minutes passed and then the formal design was nothing but a green sponge. When that had been discarded, four gentlemen went to each corner of the coffin. They each started a crank, and the cherrywood slowly vanished into the earth. In the trees beyond the cemetery's gates, a dove cooed.

Soon, the hole was filled in, and nothing remained but a few fallen flower petals and the granite gravestone. Rose and white colored, the headstone read-_ 'There is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend. He knew this, and the galaxy will forever be grateful to his sacrifice. Father, friend, husband, Chairman-rest in peace.'_

Slowly, everyone went to their vehicles to go back to the reception and lunch. Sonilla remained where she was, arms wrapped around Maelos, her flooded eyes staring at her father's resting place. Samus looked over at them and silver caught her eye. It was Sonilla's ring, but it was different. The orphan wore it with the crown pointed out to the world.

More time passed, and the wind hushed. Sonilla sighed, the release of her despair, and motioned to leave. Maelos, still holding her, then led the way back.

Mr. Joseph Torim was gone, taken back to the earth from whence he came. And, once all the mourners had left, the sun deigned to peek out and shine on his grave.


	17. Epilogue: Corruption

Chapter 17: Epilogue: Corruption

Six months after Torim's funeral, Samus was on her way to meet Maelos at the new Galactic Headquarters. She felt better than she had in weeks. Her injuries were fully healed and success had come her way only recently in the form of two bounties commissioned by the temporary Galactic government. They had been a pair of brothers who thought that genocide was a good time to steal from the Federation. Well, they hadn't been too hard and had gotten her feet wet again. Samus always got the job done.

"Welcome, Miss Aran," said the secretary, "Mr. Tebral is ready for you."

After the battle of the Valiancy, things had happened so quickly. The Luminoth had won the battle, and they had been in charge. They had all Zenian Party members removed from office and detained. Military leaders were sent back to their native planets and placed under that planet's authority. All Representatives and Ambassadors voted for a small council which would restructure the government, under the Luminoth's watchful eye. Maelos had been an easy choice. So far, the council had reviewed and rewritten several parts in nearly a third of the Galatic Constitution. It was slow going, but already many good changes had been made.

"Samus!" Maelos looked up from his work.

He had been reading so much that his dark eyes had been damaged and now required reading glasses. He set the glasses down and rose to greet Samus.

"You look wonderful, as always. Please, sit down."

They both settled into the plush suite chairs.

"You look good too," Samus said.

"Yeah, it's all the exercise I get," Maelos said, gesturing to the room he rarely left because of his council demands.

"But you're getting a lot done," Samus said. "I mean, rewriting the election procedures was half the problem. And then giving the House more power to override a Council veto--that's all stuff that had to be done."

"I'm glad you approve," he chuckled. Then, seriously, "but there's still the problem of the Council itself. Samus, one of the reasons I called you here was to ask your opinion. What do you think about opening the House up to the Luminoth and creating a permanent Council Membership for them?"

Samus raised her eyebrows. That was a huge commitment.

"Do they want that?" she asked, leaning forward in curiosity.

"Actually, U-Mos suggested it. He said, quote, 'we, as a people need to share our enlightenment with others'. So, yes, I think they want it."

"Then it's a great idea," Samus leaned back.

"Good, I'm going to present it to the council this afternoon."

They lapsed into agreeable silence. Outside, hovercraft wizzed by. Sunlight entered the office suite through three large, partially blinded windows behind Maelos.

"Where's Sonilla?" asked Samus.

"Oh, her," Maelos threw up his arms in mock exasperation. "She's off saving the galaxy, one planet at a time, with another one of her humanitarian trips. This time she talked Devajor and Anne into going too. It's not that I don't like what they're doing, but I worry about them. A lot."

"Sonilla more then the others, I bet," Samus grinned.

Maelos blushed.

"How's your father?" she asked.

"He's doing well. You know, this whole thing really saved the repair station. Dad was about to close because no one was going there, but now, jeeze, he's thinking about expanding. That's where he's happiest. He loves to work with her hands; he couldn't thank the Healers enough when they fixed him up."

Maelos paused and revolved in his swivel chair.

"Sometimes I wish I could return to that life. It was easier. I'm not sure if I'd be happier, but it was easier," Maelos thought out loud

"I know what you mean. But we need you here," Samus said.

Maelos stood up and opened the blinds. Yellow light fell onto his desk and Samus. He didn't sit back down but began to spin a very expensive globe of Triya, which was next to his desk, stopping it to look at certain cities.

"I heard you were considering making Roscuro a General of State," said Samus to break his introspection. "He's a good choice."

"We think so," Maelos said absent-mindedly, "but it's still got to go by U-Mos."

"It will."

"Hey," Maelos asked, his energy returning, "what did G-Ire give you after the reception. I never got to ask you about that."

"Coordinates," answered Samus.

"Okay," Maelos said, recognizing that it was Samus's turn to be mysterious. "She gave me some really deep reading."

"I heard about that," Samus said, "the Luminoth Book of Enlightenment, translated into the Common Tongue."

"It's very interesting," said Maelos.

The talking died out once more. Samus was comfortable enough, but Maelos looked uneasy. He began to play with the globe again, and Samus thought, _he's changed. Not too much, and not in a bad way, but he has changed. This pressure is making him more of a leader but also more... I can't place my finger on it, but it's there. He's still a good man though, and he's still my friend._

"Samus, I have a problem. The galaxy has a new problem," he said, carefully pronouncing each word.

He opened a drawer in his massive desk and pulled out a file, a file of paper.

Paper. When it came to government issues, only the most classified things were put on paper now, so they would be untraceable and easily disposed of. The galaxy was too large, too hi-tech to observe paper things.

Samus took the file and read.

"It's spread to...23 planets? Most, ones that the pirates attacked?"

She took a photograph out from the paperclip and observed it closely.

"I've seen this before," she said quietly. "I saw her die."

"Yes, that's what your Aether report said," Maelos sighed. He stood in front of the window and ruffled his hair.

"Damn pirates," Samus cursed. "Everything always involves them. So, you want me to fix this?"

"Samus, I can't express how bad I feel about making you do this," Maelos said with genuine grief, "but you know what this could do to the Federation. We are recreating ourselves, and if this corruption is allowed to grow...well, you know better than any what the Space Pirates will do. We have our best commanders working on a plan, but we, I, know that you're the only one who can do this. So yes, I am asking you to fix this. And I'm asking you for everyone in the galaxy because that's whom I am responsible for now."

Samus, for all her encouragement of Maelos's dream, had never once imagined that she would be taking mission instructions from him. But, who better to take orders from? Would she accept? Of course. This was her galaxy.

"Yes," she said.

"You won't be alone in this battle," Maelos said.

"I know."

Author's Notes

Thank you, one and all who read this whole story. Extra thanks all feedback I know that this story was dragged out for far too long, but I want you all to know that these last three chapters were just an amazing experience to write. I commend you for following this story for over a year, I really do.

Throughout this story, I've made some subtle, some not so subtle hints at various things in the world around us. Hopefully you picked up on some of them. If not, well, reread it then.

I've placed both _A Moment's Silence _and _The Ambassador _in the Prime trilogy. So, for those wondering about the last line, yes, that was a reference to the upcoming game. But, for all you nay-sayers, I am looking forward to MP3 very much. It was also a line about how Maelos and co. would be there for her, no matter what. That's what friends do.

As to the future, I plan on editting all of my works (it's incredible what a year can do to one's writing ability). I'm flirting with the idea of writing some one-shots about Maelos and Sonilla and there relationship together and how Samus would view it. But I don't really think I can justify a one-shot about a bunch of OC's. Oh well.

I do have a project on the drawing board. I've taken an interest in the Enlightened races of the Metroid world, and, if you remember from _A Moment's Silence, _I made reference to a "Totitkelilia", or gathering of the enlightened. I plan on writing a story about that and expanding on what we already know. I think it will be a fun and challenging project.

Until next time, alleycat1312.


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